Israel releases 19 Palestinian women in exchange for video tape

Gilad Shalit appeared in the video with trimmed hair and spoke coherently, Israel's Channel 10 said.

Israel has released 19 female Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the video.

Eighteen of the prisoners were handed over in the West Bank on Friday and another was released in Gaza.

The prisoners were not freed until officials had seen the video, which is said to be about two minutes long and to have been recorded on 14 September.

A 20th prisoner will be released on Sunday.

Israeli radio reported that the country's chief of staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, viewed the tape before it was delivered to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

These would be the first images seen of the 23-year-old since he was captured by Hamas militants three years ago.

An audiotape and three letters have been released since his capture in 2006, the most recent dated in 2008.