Israelis, Palestinians Agree to Prisoner Swap for Gilad Shalit

Israel and Hamas announced late Oct. 11 that they had struck a deal for the Palestinian militant group to hand over captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for Israel's release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. Several aspects of the deal raise questions, including the implications for Hamas’ future relationship with both Syria and Egypt, as well as the reasons behind the timing of the agreement. The most important factor, however, would seem to be Egypt's role as the key mediator for the negotiations.