Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was freed after over five years in captivity on Tuesday in return for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Shalit, the armored corps sergeant, has been held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip since 2006.
He was handed over to the Egyptians a crossing between the Palestinian enclave and Egypt in the early hours of Tuesday. He will remain there for a brief period before being taken to Israel.
Simultaneously, the first of the 477 Palestinians to be released on Tuesday were transferred to Gaza. The remaining 550 are due to be released next month.