Last preparations for Israel-Hamas prisoner swap (AP)

JERUSALEM ? Israeli officials say the last preparations have been made for a prisoner swap in which hundreds of Palestinians are to be traded for an Israeli soldier held in Gaza for more than five years.

Israel Prisons Service spokesman Sivan Weizman says hundreds of prisoners have been transported to the locations where they will be released early Tuesday.

After the first Palestinians are freed, Hamas militants in Gaza are supposed to release Sgt. Gilad Schalit, a tank crewman captured in 2006.

Schalit will first cross into Egypt and will then cross into Israel.

Israel is slated to free 477 prisoners Tuesday and another 550 in two months.

The campaign to free Schalit made him a national symbol in Israel, and all local radio and TV stations held special live broadcasts Tuesday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111018/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

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