BICOM

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas announced an agreement Tuesday to free Gilad Shalit, who was seized in 2006 in a cross-border raid near the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Officials from the Prime Minister’s office announced the prisoner exchange deal late last night. A few minutes after the announcement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “In the coming days we will return Gilad to the bosom of his parents, Aviva and Noam, to his brother Yoel, his sister Hadas, his grandfather Tzvi and the entire people of Israel.” Netanyahu also explained the difficult negotiation process that took place in order to secure a deal, which in the last few weeks was renewed in Cairo and mediated by the Egyptian government.  

Following the announcement, late last night, Netanyahu called an urgent cabinet meeting to discuss the agreed upon prisoner-exchange deal with the octet. At the start of the meeting, Netanyahu said that if all goes according to plan Shalit will return to Israel within days after spending more than five years (1,934 days) being held by Hamas in captivity in Gaza. The cabinet voted in favour and approved the deal early this morning. Twenty-six ministers voted for the deal, and three ministers, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau (Israel Beiteinu) and Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon (Likud) voted against the proposal.

In return for Shalit, Israel will release 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. Shin Bet (Israeli Security Services) Chief Yoram Cohen said that initially 450 prisoners, including 280 with life sentences, would be released. Of the 450 prisoners, 110 will be released to their homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 131 Gaza residents will be released to Gaza and another 203 will be expelled from the West Bank and transferred to Gaza. Only 40 of the 450 prisoners will be deported from the Palestinian territories. The deal also includes the release of 27 female prisoners.

The second part of the deal will see 550 prisoners released over a two month period. The Shin Bet chief said that imprisoned Palestinian leaders such as Abdullah Barghouti, Marwan Barghouti, Ahemd Saadat, Ibrahim Hamed, Abbas Sayed will not be released as part of the deal. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called the deal to release over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit a “national achievement” for the Palestinians.

Some in Israel will wonder if the price paid for the release of Shalit will be too high, and the deal will most likely not be implemented until the families of terror victims are given time to appeal to the Supreme Court. Many Israelis will be concerned over the release of prisoners responsible for terrorist attacks, who once released will most likely continue their militant struggle. Despite concerns, the overwhelming feeling in Israel when Shalit is released will be one of joy.