Palestinian freed for Shalit film

Bareah Malki had been reportedly due for release next month

Israel has freed the first of 20 female Palestinian prisoners due for release in return for proof an Israeli soldier being held in Gaza is still alive.

Bareah Malki, 15, was released from prison late on Wednesday and returned to her home in Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah in the West Bank.

She had been jailed for 11 months for attempted murder, officials said, and she would have been released soon.

Israel is waiting to receive a video of Gilad Shalit from his captors in Gaza.

It would be the first such footage showing Mr Shalit in captivity. An audiotape and three letters have been released since his capture in 2006, the most recent dated in 2008.

Nineteen other prisoners are expected to be freed on Friday in exchange for the tape, in a deal announced on Wednesday.

Israeli law generally allows 48 hours for prisoner amnesties to come into effect, to give time for court challenges by Israeli citizens.

It was not clear why Ms Malki was released earlier than that.

"The guy in charge of Hasharon Prison told me they are releasing me as part of the Shalit deal," she told reporters in a telephone interview.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli prison service said: "A regular parole board hearing shortened her sentence... and the judge ordered her released."

Israel holds about 10,000 Palestinian prisoners in jail on security grounds - which is a major bone of contention with the Palestinians.