Emmanuel Moreno Allegedly Presented Plan to Rescue Gilad Shalit, Says Shay Gross

In an interview with Hidabroot, Shay Gross revealed that Maya Moreno, widow of Lt. Col. Emmanuel Moreno, told him that her late husband had located Gilad Shalit during his captivity and proposed a rescue plan that was ultimately rejected. Gross, who was six years old during the Entebbe hijacking, recounted that the conversation took place at a memorial seminar for Emmanuel Moreno, which Gilad Shalit attended after his release.

According to Gross, Maya Moreno said that Emmanuel was in Israel at the time of Shalit's abduction, entered Gaza undercover, found Shalit's location, and presented a rescue operation plan to then-Chief of Staff Dan Halutz. Emmanuel Moreno estimated the operation's success chances at about 60 percent, but the plan was not approved. After the rejection, Emmanuel returned home distressed and sharply criticized then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Chief of Staff Halutz.

Gross added that during the conversation, Shalit asked if the story was true, and Gross expressed his trust in Maya Moreno's account, calling her too special to fabricate such a story. Shalit reportedly responded that perhaps it was better the operation did not proceed, fearing it might have ended like the failed rescue attempt of Nachshon Waxman. Later, Gross confronted Ehud Olmert about the matter, but Olmert reportedly smiled and did not respond.