The exchange should take place next Friday, thanks to the work of German and Egyptian mediators. Of the 20 women, 19 are from the West Bank, one from Gaza.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Israel will free 20 Palestinian women from jail in exchange for a videotape from Hamas proving that Gilad Shalit (pictured), an Israeli soldier held in the Gaza Strip since 2006, is alive. The exchange is expected to take place next Friday.

The report comes from Egyptian security sources, but was confirmed by Hamas and was included in an official statement by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Egyptian and German mediators are involved in the negotiations and view Friday’s swap as a small but significant step towards Shalit’s release. Hamas captured the Israeli soldier during a raid against an Israeli Defence Force base on the border with Gaza.

Israel will release the 20 women after receiving the videotape at the end of a two-day period when Israeli citizens can appeal in court against their release.

A spokesman for Hamas, Abu Ubeida, said that only one of the women, who was to be released along with her child, was from Gaza. The other 19 were from the West Bank.

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