Israel freed the first batch of 477 of 1,027 terrorists at dawn Tuesday as kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit began his journey home after 1,491 days in captivity. Israel has confirmed that he was taken to the Egyptian side of Rafiah in Gaza. Hamas originally denied the report but later confirmed it.
Shalit was dropped off from an SUV vehicle, which quickly returned to the Gaza side of the divided city, according to Reuters.
He is expected to fly home in the next two hours, thus ending one of the mose heart-wrenching episodes in Israel's modern history.
Buses, with heavy police escort, transported the terrorists to the Ofer prison, west of Jerusalem, where they are being identified. Most of them later will be transferred to the Kerem Shalom crossing, where Shalit was kidnapped, and Egyptian authorities will receive them.
The Red Cross, which failed to pressure Hamas into honoring the Geneva Convention and allowing its officials to visit Shalit and permit communication between him and his family, also will receive the terrorists.
Other terrorists, citizens of Israel, will be released in Lod, near Ben Gurion Airport.
DF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and Shalit's grandfather Tzvi have arrived at Tel Nof Air Force Base to welcome home Gilad, whose psychological condition is not known. He reportedly is in good physical health.