The Egyptian authorities today received the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in Egyptian territory, which represents the first step in the prisoner swap agreement recently hammered out, security sources said. Shalit came into Egypt through the Rafah Crossing protected by a large contingent of security forces, the source added. Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities released about 96 prisoners yesterday and transferred them to the West Bank, the first step on its side to meet the requirements of the deal between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian source told Youm7. Khaled Mashaal, the head of the Hamas Political Office, traveled to Cairo on Tuesday to begin the process of executing the prisoner swap agreement, which will secure the release of Gilad Shalit – who has been held by Hamas since 2006 – for 1,027 Palestinian detainees. The Hamas delegation in Cairo said that the Israeli Shit Bet is pressuring for the release of the Palestinian prisoners. The Shin Bet demanded that the Palestinian prisoners not take any further action against Israel, a source told Youm7. The prisoners refused to acquiesce to such demands, the source added.
