Shalit to end five-year captivity

17 October 2011 Last updated at 20:53 ET

This is Gilad Shalit as he looked shortly before his abduction in June 2006

Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is due to be freed from five years’ captivity on Tuesday in return for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Sgt Shalit, 25, was abducted in 2006 by Hamas militants who had tunnelled into Israel from Gaza.

On Monday, the Israeli Supreme Court turned down an appeal for a 48-hour delay from the families of victims of attacks by Palestinian militants.

A first batch of 477 Palestianian detainees will be freed on Tuesday.

The remaining 550 are scheduled to be released next month.

“I understand the difficulty in accepting that the vile people who committed the heinous crimes against r loved ones will not pay the full price they deserve,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a letter, released by his office, to bereaved Israeli families.

Meanwhile in Gaza, Hamas prepared a hero’s welcome for 295 prisoners due to be sent to the territory.

The Hamas interior minister for Gaza has urged residents to “refrain from using weapons and ammunition to express their joy”.

Step by step

The day’s events will unfold in a carefully choreographed sequence.

Early on Tuesday morning local time, Gilad Shalit is due to be taken to the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

The 477 Palestinian prisoners who are being exchanged are already in two holding facilities.

They will be taken to the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Egypt, a 10-minute drive from Rafah.

Sgt Shalit will be handed over to the Egyptians, in the presence of Israeli representatives.

Once his release has been confirmed, Israel will release 27 women prisoners. Sgt Shalit will then be transferred to Kerem Shalom.

After he has made a phone call to his parents and undergone a brief medical examination, he will be flown by helicopter to the Tel Nof airbase in Israel.

While this is going on, Palestinian prisoners destined for Gaza or exile abroad will cross into Egypt from Kerem Shalom.

Egypt will ensure the deportees are flown to host countries including Turkey, Syria or Qatar.

The Palestinian Authority has prepared new passports for those being deported to third countries, which it has given to the Egyptian ambassador to the Palestinian territories.

Prisoners being released into the West Bank will be taken to the Bituniya checkpoint, where they will be handed over to the PA

Meanwhile, Sgt Shalit will be undergoing further medical checks at Tel Nof, where he will meet members of his family, as well as Mr Netanyahu.

If he is fit, Sgt Shalit will then be flown with his family to northern Israel and escorted by a convoy to his home town of Mitzpe Hila, in the western Galilee.

Sgt Shalit’s family lived in a protest tent in Jerusalem for 16 months while they campaigned for his release.

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