Freed soldier Gilad Shalit reunited with family in Israel
Franco-Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held in captivity in Gaza for over five years, arrived back in Israel on Tuesday.
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He emerged frail but cheerful after 1,941 days in captivity and met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who embraced him and said "Hello Gilad, welcome back to Israel. It's so good to have you back home."
Soon after arriving at the Kerem crossing from Egypt, Shalit was flown to Tel nof to meet his family.
He was scheduled to return home with them but there were reports he might be hospitalised first as he appeared frail, and took short breaths while being interviewed.
Meanwhile busloads of Palestinian prisoners arrived at the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday, under the deal brokered, they will be released in exchange for Shalit, as part of a prisoner swap.
Some of the Palestinian prisoners released as part of the exchange will be taken in by Turkey, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported on Monday.
The agency quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Turkey would host some of the released prisoners along with Qatar and Egypt.
Israel began releasing 1,027 prisoners in two stages Tuesday in exchange for the handover of solider Gilad Shalit, who was snatched by Gaza militants in June 2006.
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