Gilad Shalit Released as Leaders Agree On Prisoner Swap Deal
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October 12, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Sgt Gilad Shilt will finally return home after Israel agrees to release 1,026 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for his freedom.
Leaders from Israel and Hamas have agreed on the release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
26 ministers voted in favour of the agreement on Tuesday and announced that the first 450 prisoners would be released within the next few days.
“This is a tough decision,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I believe we reached the best deal we could at this time of turbulence in the Middle East. I do not know if in the foreseeable future we will be able to reach a better deal, or any deal at all.”
Leaders agreed the release of 1,026 prisoners in total, 26 of who are women.
In return, Palestine will release Sgt Shalit, who has been imprisoned since 2006. Sgt Shalit, who was aged 19 at the time, was taken by Hama soldiers during a cross-border raid.
Leaders have been conducting on-off negotiations for the past five years in attempts to return Sgt Shalit to his family. Finally, on Tuesday, both sides reached an agreement during an emergency meeting in a Cairo hotel.
Not all prisoners will be included in the swap deal. Many high profile militants, such as Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti and Hamas’ Abdullah Barghoti will not be released in the coming days.
In addition, Ahmed Saadat, who was convicted for ordering the killing of Israeli tourism minister in 2001, will remain in prison.
Yesterday’s announcement was widely welcomed by ministers and crowds gathered in the streets of Jerusalem to celebrate the swap deal.
Reports also confirm that similar scenes occurred throughout Gazza.
“I think it’s a deal that should happen and I’m sorry it didn’t happen many many years ago,” a Jerusalem resident told Reuters.”
“Every human being must be for the deal.”
By Catherine Rees
[Image courtesy of LisaG in Tel Aviv]
