Israeli televisions on Friday broadcast the video tape of Israeli kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, which was obtained by Israel earlier the day as part of the prisoners swap deal with Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement.

The video tape, showed on Israeli Channel 2, is around two minutes long, in which Shalit held an Arab Newspaper dated September 14, 2009 and read apparently from the newspaper in a low voice.

Shalit, sitting alone in a chair and facing the camera, looks thin but in a good health. He stood up in mid of reading and walked closer to the camera.

Israel released some 19 Palestinian women from its prison earlier Friday in exchange of this video tape which is expected to be a proof that Shalit, taken away three years ago by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, is still alive.

Another Palestinian women is slated to be freed on Sunday according to Israeli media.

Brokered by German and Egyptian mediators, the mid-swap deal is viewed as a great progress for the talks between Israel and Hamas on freeing the captive Israeli soldier.

The Gaza-ruling Hamas has asked Israel to release more than 1,000 Palestinians, including some specifically identified, from its prisons in exchange for the freedom of the Israeli soldier.

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