Israel set to complete swap for captured soldier

The release was not infused with the same drama as the first phase since the most significant players in the trade have already been released.
The October 18 return of Schalit, who appeared pale and thin but otherwise healthy, was the first public sighting of him since his capture, and the plight of the young man had captured Israel’s attention for years.
The prisoners freed in the first round included dozens of militants serving life sentences  for involvement in deadly attacks. Their  releases set off ecstatic celebration in the Palestinian territories, particularly Hamas’ Gaza stronghold.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel chose the prisoners to be freed. Prison officials said most were serving light sentences or near  the end of their terms, and only 41 were returning to Gaza.
More than 500 were being sent to the West       Bank, which is ruled by Hamas’ rival, President Mahmoud Abbas, and most of them were believed           to be linked to Abbas’ Fatah movement. Israel is interested in bolstering Abbas at a time when Islamic groups like Hamas are gaining in power throughout the Middle East. Hamas enjoyed a        huge boost of popularity following the October release.

The Palestinians have been divided between two rival governments since Hamas expelled Abbas’ forces and seized control of Gaza in 2007. Abbas, who favours a negotiated peace settlement with Israel, has governed only in the West Bank since then.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the movement welcomed the release of all prisoners, regardless of their political affiliation. “We are proud of this great achievement,” he said.

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been frozen for three years, in part because of continued Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians claim both territories, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as parts of a future state.
On Sunday, Israel’s Housing Ministry published advertisements seeking contractors to build some 1 000 apartments in both areas.

The apartments were approved long ago. Last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered construction to be sped up after the UN cultural agency Unesco granted the Palestinians membership. Israel opposes Palestinian efforts to join the UN in the absence of a negotiated peace deal.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal are scheduled to hold another meeting in Cairo tomorrow, Azzam Ahmed, a senior Fatah official, announced yesterday.

The meeting comes after several days of talks between the rival Palestinian parties on implementation of a unity deal.
The meeting comes following talks between Fatah and Hamas representatives in the Egyptian capital in the past few days about ways of implementing an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation accord that was announced in Cairo last May. — AP/The Jerusalem Post.