Deal Details Continue Leaking In Shalit Swap

We already know that Israel is paying a steep price to secure the release of Gilad Shalit. 1,027 Palestinians currently held by Israel are scheduled to be released in upcoming months. The first batch of 450+ would include terrorists responsible for over 500 Israeli deaths including terrorists involved in the deadly Sbarro pizzeria bombing.

Now, we learn that the second batch of terrorists would be from Fatah - about 550 in total.

A total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners will be released in the deal, in two stages. In the first stage, 450 prisoners will be released. Schalit will then be sent to Israel, and another 550 prisoners will be released two months later.

AFP quoted the diplomat as saying Egypt persuaded Israel that the second batch of prisoners to be released in two months time will all be from Fatah.

That is in addition to the terrorists being released in the first batch including those apprehended in connection with plots to bomb hotels are also expected to get released along with other terrorists involved in major attacks.

They are part of the first phase of 450 prisoners set to be freed out of the 1,027 names in total.

They include Nasser Batima, convicted of planning the 2002 Passover Seder suicide-bomb attack on the Park Hotel in Netanya, in which 30 civilians were killed and 140 were wounded.

All will be welcomed by their fellow Palestinians as national heroes and resumed calls for jihad to bring about Israel's eventual destruction.

Such has been the case with prior swaps and that certainly wont change here. Hamas and to a lesser extent Fatah are beneficiaries of this swap.

Abbas is hoping that all prisoners will one day be freed. Perhaps Abbas would like to be reminded that but for Palestinian terror attacks, attempts, and thwarted plots, those Palestinians sitting in Israeli prisons convicted for such crimes would not be there. In other words - don't incite your population to carry out terrorism and delegitimize Israel's right to exist and Israel wouldn't have to imprison terrorists who delight in the murder and mayhem they cause with their attacks.

Some Israelis are filing suit to block the deal, noting the disproportionate release of noted admitted and convicted terrorists involved in numerous mass casualty attacks in exchange for a single Israeli. They include families of those killed or injured in some of those attacks.