Gilad Shalit has given his first interview since his release almost a year ago. A clip from the interview, which was screened on Israel’s Channel 10 on Thursday evening, showed the former soldier speaking about his time in captivity.

He detailed how he used to pass the time. “During the day I would play with all kinds of games. Chess, dominoes, and I played all sorts of things with myself, strange games” he said. “I would make a ball of socks or a shirt and I would throw it in the trash. I would invent all sorts of things.”

He also said that he used to write, but was wary of upsetting his captors by doing so.

“I’d hide it sometimes, because some did not like my writing,” he said. “Some thought I was collecting information.”

Held captive by Hamas for over five years, Mr Shalit also spoke of his nerves on the day of his release: "I didn't know if something might happen, if someone may try to hurt us, if something would go wrong at the last minute," he recalled.

"And as soon as I got out of the vehicle and entered Egypt I had a sense of relief. Suddenly I saw before me dozens, hundreds of people, after not having seen more than a few people all these years."

Channel 10 said the rest of the interview was due to be screened “soon”.