Israel to free 1,000 forsoldier held by Hamas

Israel and Hamas announced last night they have reached a prisoner-swap deal to free a single captured Israeli soldier held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The agreement follows five years of negotiations that have repeatedly collapsed in violence.

It would bring home Sergeant Gilad Schalit, captured in a raid in June 2006 by Palestinian militants who tunnelled into Israel and dragged him back to Gaza.

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an urgent cabinet meeting last night to approve the deal, which was also confirmed in Cairo by a senior Hamas official.

Sgt Schalit, 25, will now be exchanged for about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel had previously balked at Hamas’ demands because some of the prisoners are serving long terms for deadly attacks on Israelis.

A Hamas delegation led by Mahmoud Zahar had arrived in Cairo on Monday night from the group’s headquarters in Syria. The deal would be implemented in a week, Hamas said.

Sgt Schalit’s plight has captured the attention of Israel, where military service is mandatory for Jewish citizens. The soldier’s father, Noam, has become a well-known public figure by leading a campaign to win his son’s freedom.

Likewise, the plight of Palestinian prisoners is deeply emotional among Palestinians. Virtually every Palestinian has a relative who has served time in an Israeli prison.

German and Egyptian mediators have repeatedly tried to broker deals between Israel and Hamas. Those talks have repeatedly broken down, and Israel has carried out a number of military strikes and imposed a blockade over the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas.