Gilad Shalit undergoes surgery to repair abduction injuries

Gilad Shalit speaks to his family on the telephone in this handout released by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Oct. 18. Photo by REUTERS/IDF/Handout.

Gilad Shalit has undergone surgery to repair wounds from his 2006 abduction.

The successful surgery Friday at Rambam Hospital in Haifa removed seven pieces of shrapnel in Shalit’s hand, according to news reports.

Shalit was released from captivity two and a half weeks ago in exchange for over a thousand Palestinian prisoners. He will spend his second weekend of freedom at Rambam for observation.

Earlier this week, a lawmaker from the haredi Orthodox Shas Party, Menshulam Nahiri, criticized Shalit for not spending his first weekend in synagogue.