Israel and Hamas agree to prisoner swap
A deal brokered by Egypt between Israel and Hamas to free a thousand Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of an Israeli soldier, Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit finds all sides benefiting politically. Shalit has been held captive for more than 5 years – making him a powerful symbol of national anguish for Israelis. Not all the details of the deal have been released, but a Hamas spokesmen claims that among the Palestinian prisoners to be released is Marwan Barghouti. Barghouti is a Fatah leader widely viewed as a potential successor to President Mahmoud Abbas. Martin Indyk, former United States ambassador to Israel and director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institute, talks more about what this deal means for all involved.
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