Gilad Shalit release: Q&A with Ian Black

Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held captive in the Gaza Strip since 2006, has been released as part of a prisoner swap with Hamas. The news was met with scenes of celebration in Gaza and Israel, and also some protests.

But what are the wider implications of Shalit and the Palestinian prisoners' release? The Guardian's Middle East editor, Ian Black, answered your questions

Gilad Shalit could be returned to his family within days after the Israeli cabinet approved a deal with Hamas. Photograph: Reuters

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a prisoner swap in which more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for Gilad Shalit, a soldier who has been held captive in the Gaza Strip since 2006.

Under the deal, which the Israeli cabinet approved early Wednesday morning, 1,027 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons will be released - including militants who were involved in some of the bloodiest terrorist attacks to strike Israel.

The news prompted scenes of celebration in Gaza and Israel. The first Palestinian prisoners will return to the West Bank and East Jerusalem within a week, and Shalit is expected to be back home within days.

• It's a dramatic event - but what is its wider significance?
• Why has it happened now?
• Who are the winners and losers?

Ian Black was online to discuss the deal - and its implications for the future of the Middle East's most volatile conflict.