Shalit video deal underway

At 9:30 am Nahshon Unit vehicles left the Hadarim prison to the Ofer and Shikma detention facilities carrying the 19 female Palestinian prisoners slated to be released in exchange for a sign of life from captive solider Gilad Shalit.

The convoy of Israel Prison Service vans transporting 18 female Palestinian prisoners as part of the videotape swap deal arrived at Ofer detention center, near Bitunia, just before 11 am.

From there, they were handed over to the Red Cross at 11:30 am, where they awaited the green light from Israel's envoy to Shalit talks Hagai Hadas' authorization before being released via Bitunia Checkpoint near Ramallah and Erez crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel and the Bitunia Checkpoint near Ramallah.

The eighteen female Palestinian prisoners were released at Bitunia Checkpoint. They crossed into Palestinian territory where they were received by their families.

Another female Palestinian prisoner included in the videotape deal was released into the Gaza Strip after being transported to Erez crossing in a UN convoy.

The 20th prisoner slated for release, 20-year-old Roda Habib, will be transferred to Gaza on Sunday. She was added to the list at the last minute, taking the place of Bara'ah al-Malki, who was released Wednesday because her prisoner sentence was up.

At 11:30 am the German mediator will show Hadas and his team the minute-long video of the captive soldier. The tape will remain in the mediator's custody. Hadas and his team will verify the content of the videotape, and check that it shows Shalit facing the camera, and includes proof that it was recorded in recent weeks.

Prisoners leaving prison (Photo: Ido Erez) 

The team will inspect the video thoroughly, and will make several copies to be given to the Shalit family and the prime minister.

Hadas will then give the IPS the green light, and the prisoners will be transferred to the Red Cross. As the process of the prisoners' release commences, the tape will be transferred to Hadas' custody.

During the prisoners' release, members of the campaign for Shalit's release will take place at Erez crossing under the banner: "Gilad has not been released yet".

Preparing to protest. 'Shalit has not yet been released.' (Photo: AFP)

At around 1 pm, Hadas is slated to take the tape to the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, to present it to Netanyahu. A copy of the tape will be delivered to the Shalit family by helicopter.

Brigadier General Avi Zamir, head of the army's Human Resources Branch, will present the video to the Shalit family at around 3 pm. The video may even be flown in a helicopter to the family so as not to expedite its arrival. The family requested to watch the video in private.

Copies of the video will also be delivered to the defense minister, the IDF chief of staff and the Shin Bet chief.

Who will see the tape?

After watching the videotape, Jerusalem will have to decide a policy for publishing the footage – namely, whether to show the rare sign of life to the broader public or only to a select few? Great weight will be given to the Shalit family's wishes on the matter. Consideration will also be given to allowing continued negotiations without additional pressures.

The Prime Minister's Office emphasized that the exchange is only an initial, tentative step meant to be a confidence building measure between the Israelis and the Palestinians before continuing forward in negotiations. Intensive indirect talks apparently are continuing by way of German and Egyptian mediators in order to make an official assessment of the list of prisoners Hamas is demanding that Israel release in exchange for Shalit.

The town of Mitzpe Hila, Gilad Shalit's hometown, has been eagerly anticipating the release of the videotape. Amir Gur Lavi, a resident of the town and a member of the campaign for Gilad's release, said to Ynet that the joy of receiving a sign of life is restrained because, according to him, it is "just a video" and not Gilad's release.

"Of course, there is great excitement. This is proof of what we have hoped and expected for a long time, that Gilad is indeed alive. We are definitely happy that in any case, despite the Hamas' continued refusal, the mediators successfully took action and secured a sign of life."

Gilad Shalit was kidnapped to the Gaza Strip 1,195 days ago.