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Israel prepares for release of Gilad Shalit

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Last minute preparations are currently under way by a variety of Israeli official bodies for the expected release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit tomorrow. In total, 1,027 Palestinians convicted of terror offences are set to be released in exchange for Shalit.

Shalit, according to media reports, is to be transferred to the Sinai Peninsula from the Gaza Strip, where he will meet with Israeli officials who will then accompany him back to Israel. Once officials make contact with Shalit, the process of releasing the first group of Palestinian prisoners will begin. Buses will take the prisoners to Gaza from Ramallah, or to Israel’s border with Jordan. The head of the Israeli negotiating team, David Meidan, is to stay in Cairo until the release of Shalit has been completed.

Over the weekend, more information was released on the 1,027 Palestinian prisoners who are to be released as part of the Shalit exchange deal. Among the prisoners serving life sentences several stand out. Yehia Sanwar, serving four life sentences, was involved in the kidnapping and murder of Nachshon Wachsman. His brother, Jihad Yaghmur, is also included in the list.  Yaghmur is among the planners of the Shalit abduction and was also involved in the Wachsman murder. Mohammed Shratkha, who was head of the cell that kidnapped and murdered Ilan Sa’adon and Avi Sasportas will also be released as part of the deal. Commander of Hamas’ 101 Unit and onetime partner of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, Shratkhe was sentenced to three life sentences. Ibrahim Shammasina, who was involved in the murders of teenagers Ronen Karamani and Lior Tubul, taxi driver Rafi Doron and IDF soldier Yehoshua Friedberg, is also included in the list. Walid Anajas, who was sentenced to 36 life sentences for his part in the Moment Café bombing and a terrorist attack in Rishon Lezion will also be released.

Meanwhile, four petitions have been presented to the High Court in Israel, which oppose the prisoner exchange deal and seek to postpone it. The first of these was presented by Almagor, an association representing the victims of terror attacks. The petition seeks a 48-hour delay of the implementation of the exchange, in order to allow greater time for review of the names of those set to be released. Three other petitions were also filed on Sunday. One of these was presented by Meir Schijveschuurder, who lost his parents and three siblings in a suicide bombing at the Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem. The family of Gilad Shalit on Sunday urged the court to swiftly reject the petitions, arguing that any delay in implementation could jeopardise the deal. The petitions are expected to be formally rejected later today.