Israel and Hamas carried out an unprecedented prisoner swap on Tuesday, as the Palestinian group freed Israeli Sgt. Gilad Shalit after five years in captivity in return for 477 prisoners held by Israel.
The exchange, reached after intensive mediation over the last three months by Egypt, marks a milestone in relations between sworn enemies, the Jewish state and the militant Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip.
Sgt. Shalit, looking weak and thin, and dressed in a plaid shirt and black baseball cap, emerged from imprisonment at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing accompanied the chief of Hamas's military wing, Ahmed Jaberi.
"I'm happy,'' he told an Egyptian reporter before returning to Israel. "I hope the deal will advance peace and there won't be clashes between Israelis and the Palestinians.'' He added that he was informed of the deal a week ago, but feared that it would falter and result in additional years in jail.
He was later handed over to Israeli military representatives and crossed over back to Israel at the Kerem Shalom crossing, located at the intersection of Israel, Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The swap, which was announced by the sides a week ago and finalized over the weekend, kept Israelis and Palestinians on edge right up to the final moments before the exchange, as reports emerged of a delay early Tuesday morning because of the refusal of two Palestinian prisoners to be deported to the Gaza Strip, the Haaretz newspaper reported.
The Palestinian prisoners were released to the West Bank, Gaza and Egypt.
At the Kerem Shalom crossing—not far from where Sgt. Shalit was abducted in June 2006 when his tank was ambushed—Israel released several hundred Palestinian prisoners to Egypt en route to Gaza. The Palestinian prisoners were embraced at the Rafah terminal by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and family members. Hamas planned a mass celebration in Gaza City.
The other large group of prisoners were released to the West Bank city of Ramallah, and were welcomed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. About 40 Palestinians deported under the deal were handed over to Egypt en route to Turkey, Qatar and Syria, Israel Radio reported. Under the deal, Israel also released several Palestinians with residency in East Jerusalem and several Palestinians with Israeli citizenship.
After army doctors pronounced Sgt. Shalit to be in good health, he flew by helicopter to the Tel Nof military base in central Israel where he was reunited with his family. Israel's military spokesman released footage of the freed soldier in dress uniform, wearing new prescription glasses.
At a ceremony to welcome Sgt. Shalit, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli negotiators succeeded in getting Hamas to compromise on their demands, but acknowledged that he paid a "heavy'' price of the release of militants who had killed Israelis in terrorist attacks. Mr. Netanyahu said he had feared Sgt. Shalit might suffer the fate of Israeli navigator Ron Arad, who disappeared after being taken prisoner in 1986.
"This is the best agreement that could be reached,'' he said. "Today Gilad is returning home to his country, to his people and to his family.''
Sgt. Shalit's abduction had served as a justification in Israel for a blockade of Gaza, a coastal territory of 1.5 million Palestinians. Hamas leaders have called on Israel to remove restrictions on the passage of commercial goods as part of the deal.
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