Rough cut (No reporter narration).
Vehicles carrying Palestinian prisoners began departing from various jails in Israel on Tuesday (October 18), a Reuters witness said, setting in motion a phased prisoner exchange that is meant to secure the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
The first vehicles that left HaSharon Prison in central Israel were carrying female prisoners, the second round left from Ktziot Prison area.
In the deal reached between Israel and the Gaza Strip's Islamist rulers Hamas, Shalit will be freed after five years of captivity in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Its implementation is expected to take several hours.
