Israel has released ahead of schedule one of 21 women prisoners due to be freed in return for a video of an Israeli soldier held in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, officials said on Thursday. Bara Malki, 15, was released late on Wednesday after a judge ordered her to be freed, a spokeswoman for the Israeli Prison Authority told AFP.
"A regular parole board hearing shortened her sentence... and the judge ordered her released," the spokeswoman said. Speaking from her home in the Jalazun refugee camp outside the West Bank town of Ramallah, Malki told AFP: "My name was on the list (to be freed) ... I'm happy that I've been released but the court released me because of my age."
Malki was serving 11 months for attempted murder and an attack on a police officer, prison officials said. On Friday, Israel is due to free 19 other women prisoners in return for a videotape of Gilad Shalit, a soldier seized by Gaza militants in June 2006.