Israel: Hostage to Its Soldiers' Captors?

For years Israel has been subject to extortion by terrorist organizations holding Israeli soldiers and civilians hostage, with their release conditional on the release of hundreds of imprisoned members of these organizations. If there was a realistic chance of releasing its citizens by force, Israel chose that route; lacking that option, Israel consistently paid a steep price for the release of its captives. This policy was formulated over decades, starting in the late 1960s. Consequently, terrorist organizations, depending on their capabilities, were encouraged to seek operations where Israel would have no possibility of military action. They were driven to adopt a pattern of “hit and run” with their hostages to areas beyond the reach of Israel’s security services and deny Israel the ability to secure the release of hostages by force.