Sunday, 16 October 2011

UPDATE 2-Israel moves 430 Palestinians near prisoner swap venue


Israel bused some 430 Palestinian prisoners under heavy guard to a holding facility in the Negev desert on Sunday in preparation for them to be exchanged on Tuesday for captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, officials said.

The prisoner swap, to take place in the nearby Egyptian desert region of Sinai, should bring to a close a saga that has obsessed Israelis over the five years of Shalit's captivity.

Israel posted a list of all 477 prisoners due to go free, along with Shalit, in the first stage of the Egyptian- and German-brokered deal, opening the way for anyone opposed to their release to file a legal appeal within 48 hours.

"Unless the Supreme Court intervenes, or someone in Gaza goes nuts, it appears the deal will go through in two days," Yaakov Amidror, national security adviser for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Army Radio.

Those on the release roster included Palestinians jailed for attacks in which dozens of Israelis were killed. At least five prisoners have been in jail since their teens.

Forty-seven further Palestinians slated for release on Tuesday were moved to a holding cell in central Israel.

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