Gilad Shalit's father is planning a bid for political office in Israel.

Noam Shalit, who spent much of the last two years camped outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem to encourage political action to secure his kidnapped son's freedom, is hoping to become a Knesset member for the Labour Party.

The Palestinian president has faced heavy criticism for meeting a woman who lured a young Israeli victim to the West Bank so that he could be murdered.

Mahmoud Abbas was in Turkey on Wednesday where he sat with Amna Muna, who was released from a life sentence in prison early in October as part of the deal to bring home Gilad Shalit.

Five hundred and fifty Palestinian prisoners will walk free on Sunday in the second stage of the deal that was struck to secure the release of Gilad Shalit.

Two months after the soldier returned home after more than five years as a captive of Hamas, Israel will again pay the heavy price accepted for his freedom.

A list of names of those who would be freed was published earlier this week.

The French president has blamed last month's outburst against Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu on France being "left out" of the deal to free a captured IDF soldier.

Gilad Shalit, who holds dual Israeli and French citizenship, was released form the clutches of Hamas in October after more than five years of captivity.

Letters that were written by captured Israeli navigator Ron Arad soon after he went missing but never sent have been shown in public for the first time.

An American law student who had been held as a Mossad spy in Egypt since June is on his way to freedom.

Ilan Grapel has been released by the Egyptian authorities in return for 25 prisoners who were being held in Israeli jails. He is being flown to Israel in the company of two Israeli Knesset members, who reported that he appeared fine and was smiling.

American-Israeli Ilan Grapel is to be released this weekend from prison in Cairo, four months after being arrested on charges of "spying" for Israel.

Mr Grapel, a student at Emory University in Atlanta, spent several years in Israel and served in the Paratroopers Brigade. He is to be released in exchange for 25 Egyptians held in Israel on smuggling charges.

The pilot who flew Gilad Shalit back to his home last week was the son of an Israel Air Force fighter who was with navigator Ron Arad when he went missing in 1986.

A US student being held as an Israeli spy in Egypt is expected to walk free in the coming days after Israel agreed to a prisoner swap.

The Israeli soldier who was freed last week after five years in the captivity of Hamas has thanked President Shimon Peres for the support he gave the family.

Gilad Shalit and his parents met the president at their home in northern Israel today, six days after he returned to Israeli soil for the first time since June 2006.

The Egyptian journalist who questioned Gilad Shalit shortly after he was released from captivity has defended her technique.

Shahira Amin interviewed the sergeant, who looked pale, thin and tired and at points even gasping for breath, even before he had returned to Israeli soil and seen or spoken to his family.