Second Phase of Swap Deal Completed: 550 Palestinian Prisoners Freed

550 Palestinian prisoners were freed on Sunday, in the second stage of a deal between the Zionist entity and the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas. - The majority of the freed prisoners returned to the West Bank, ruled by Fatah movement. The second stage of the deal included 41 prisoners returned to Gaza, two to east al-Quds (Jerusalem) two to Jordan and the remainder to the occupied West Bank. Sunday’s release completes the Egyptian-brokered deal to exchange a total of 1,027 prisoners for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Hamas fighters in June 2006. Shalit returned home on October 18 when Israel freed the first batch of 477 prisoners. Unlike the first stage, the second stage did not include anyone "with blood on their hands". The October operation included hundreds of prisoners serving life for killing Zionists.