(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

Phase two is now complete.
Israel released 550 Palestinian prisoners in the second part of an exchange that freed one Israeli soldier -- Gilad Shalit.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
euronews explains more of what some have called a lopsided deal.

“Gilad Shalit was handed back to Israel after being captured and held by Hamas militants for five years. The controversial deal came after much campaigning by his family. Despite some opposition to the release of so many prisoners for one individual, the majority of Israelis approved of the swap.”

The deal was signed in October this year and brokered by German and Egyptian negotiators. Hamas picked the 477 soldiers who were released in the first part of the exchange in October. That list included some Hamas members who wer e sentenced to life in prison for involvement in suicide bombings that killed Israelis. (Video: France24)

As part of the deal, Israel was able to pick who got to leave in the second batch of prisoners. The Washington Post notes some of them were most likely chosen as a courtesy to Palestine’s president, who is a member of Hamas’ rival party, Fatah.

“More than 500 were released to the West Bank and only 41 to the Gaza Strip, in an apparent gesture to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement, who were largely sidelined in the first phase of the prisoner swap.”

But the New York Times quotes Palestine’s detainee minister-- who was unhappy with Israel’s selections.

“Many of those being released were due to get out within months anyway, and there are women left behind and prisoners who have been there a long time. If Israel had wanted to make a real good-will gesture, the list would have been totally different.’”

In total, Israel has released 1,207 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit. But one Al Jazeera reporter notes—more Palestinians have been captured since the deal was made.

“Since the first batch of prisoners was released in October 18th, more than 450 Palestinians have been detained in the occupied territories, which leaves many here to wonder if Israel is just releasing some prisoners and detaining others at the same time.”

Hamas released Shalit in October. He was captured in a cross-border raid in June 2006, when he was 19.