Israeli cabinet approves prisoners exchange with Palestine

Israels cabinet on Wednesday approved a deal with Hamas in Gaza to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, an official statement said.Ministers voted 26 to 3 in favour of the Egyptian-mediated deal for the soldier held captive since June 2006, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged them to ratify the lopsided swap that he called the best deal we could achieve.Shalits family, who has been living in a tent outside the prime ministers residence for over a year, announced they will fold their tent and head home after news of the deal reached them.Gilad Shalit was abducted by Gaza militants in 2006.Hundreds of people turned out on a cool evening on Tuesday to celebrate swamping the tent where the Shalits and their supporters have kept a vigil to press Prime Minister Netanyahu to secure the 25-year-olds freedom.They waved flags and smiled as police struggled to keep a lane open for cars in one of Jerusalems most congested spots. Among the first officials to congratulate the family was Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak.Many sympathisers, including foreign visitors and officials had visited the tent since the Shalits set it up in 2010 following a 12-day march from their home in northern Israel. They said they would stay there until Gilad came home.The exchange of Shalit for the first 450 Palestinians to be released is expected sometime in the coming days. Objectors to the deal, warn of the possible danger to Israels security as result of the release of hundreds of prisoners.