When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet voted early Wednesday morning to approve a prisoner swap that will see Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier who has been in Hamas captivity for the last five years, return to Israel what we have just seen unfolding is an enormous victory to the Palestinians in their quest for a separate Palestinian state. Since then, Gilad Shalit, has been reunited with his family shortly after crossing into Israel from Egypt after his release earlier in the day by his captors in Gaza, ending five years and four months in captivity.
The Israel Defence Forces representative announced Shalit's return at 11 a.m. Israel time on Tuesday. Shalit arrived in Egypt approximately three hours earlier.
While incarceration Shalit said in an interview that he treated well by his captors, but that he missed family, friends and freedom. The IDF reported that Shalit is in good health.
After meeting with IDF officials and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Shalit met family members, and images of him embracing his father, Noam, were broadcasted right throughout Israel.
Shalit's release came as Israel began transferring 477 Palestinian prisoners to the Red Cross as part of a swap deal between Israel and Hamas that will see the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Eyewitnesses confirmed that some of the prisoners had begun entering Gaza.
Shalit's family was waiting for him at the Tel Nof Air Force base.
What a deal the Palestinians have gotten out of this? After all, exchanging one Jewish soldier for up to a thousand Palestinian prisoners what better odds could one expect than that. As that is the case, the success rate of this exchange has been more than 1000 to 1 in favour of the Palestinians.
According to the agreement framework presented by Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen, the deal Netanyahu brought before the cabinet included, at first, the release of 450 Palestinian prisoners, including 280 with life sentences.
110 prisoners will be released to their homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, out of whom 55 are Hamas men, with the rest belonging to Fatah and the other Palestinian groups.
According to the deal, 131 Gaza residents will be released back to the coastal Strip, many of whom are reportedly top Hamas operatives. Another 203 prisoners will be expelled from the West Bank, 40 of whom will be deported overseas and the rest to Gaza.
In addition, 6 Israeli Arab prisoners who have been serving for many years will also be released to their homes. The deal also specifies the release of 27 female inmates: terrorists Ahlam Tamimi and Amna Muna will be deported, with the rest of the female inmates are expected to be released to their homes.
The second wave of releases will take place in two months time, at which point Israel will release 550 prisoners of its choosing.
In a briefing with reporters, the Shin Bet chief indicated that senior Hamas West Bank operatives the militant group demanded be set free – such as Abdullah Barghouti, Ibrahim Hamed, Abbas Sayed, and others – will not be released from jail.
Ahmed Saadat, secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, will also remain in prison, as well as Fatah strongman Marwan Barghouti.
About half of those released to the West Bank will live under restrictions that include prohibiting them from exiting the West Bank and, in some cases, the towns in which they live.
Cohen added that the Shin Bet supported the newly signed deal since releasing Shalit by means of military operation was deemed impossible.
"The security establishment finds this release very difficult," Cohen said, adding:
"It's easier for me to be tough. We had no possibility or better way of releasing Shalit, so we backed the deal."
"It's not a good deal, but, on the other hand, it's the only way if we want to bring him home," the Shin Bet chief said, adding: "Hamas had to show flexibility as we did. What happened in Syria created instability and a need for Egyptian backup."
Is there someone out there who can reaffirm what my initial reaction was that this prisoner exchange program was a part of the road map to peace announced by the Americans?
Accordingly, what we have also seen is the world edge closer and closer to the covenant of Daniel Chapter 9, Verse 27 - a lot closer than I have ever seen in my lifetime. As that is the case, my best advice then for those unsaved would be to do so before it is too late as you are quite rapidly running out of time.
Daniel Chapter 9, Verse 27
AND HE SHALL CONFIRM THE COVENANT WITH MANY FOR ONE WEEK: AND IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK HE SHALL CAUSE THE SACRIFICE AND THE OBLATION TO CEASE, AND FOR THE OVERSPREADING OF ABOMINATIONS HE SHALL MAKE IT DESOLATE, EVEN UNTIL THE CONSUMMATION, AND THAT DETERMINED SHALL BE POURED UPON THE DESOLATE.
