Israel Releases More Prisoners In Peace Deal

Israel has freed 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal that helped launch the current US-brokered peace talks.

Palestinian president greeted the freed prisoners in Ramallah

The group are the second batch of 104 convicts set to be released - an element of the agreement that has angered many Israelis who view them as terrorists responsible for Israeli deaths.

In an apparent attempt to offset negative domestic reaction, Israeli army radio reported plans for an expansion of controversial settlements in east Jerusalem shortly after the releases took place.

Large crowds gathered near the Ofer prison ahead of the release

A group of 21 prisoners from the West Bank left Ofer prison, near Jerusalem, shortly after 1am (11pm GMT) and the other five crossed moments later into the Gaza strip.

The West Bankers left Ofer in two minibuses with blacked-out windows and drove the short distance to the Beitunia crossing, where they were greeted with cheers and fireworks.

Right-wing Israelis protested near the jail, burning Palestinian scarves

They then drove to nearby Ramallah where they were welcomed at an official ceremony headed by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, who said that talks would not bear fruit unless some 5,000 Palestinians held by Israel go free.

"There will be no agreement if so much as one Palestinian prisoner remains behind bars," Abbas told thousands of cheering Palestinians gathered outside his headquarters in the West Bank city.

One of the first men to be released could barely contain his joy

Speaking before the army radio's report Abbas reiterated the Palestinians' denial that the prisoner release was part of an agreement to allow Israel more settlement building.

He said: "There are some living among us who say that we have a deal (to release prisoners) in exchange for settlement building, and I say to them, be silent."

Another freed prisoner greets his father after many years behind bars

The five freed Gazans were met by hundreds of relatives and well-wishers as they entered the strip through the Erez crossing from Israel.

Last week, an Israeli official claimed an expansion of large settlements, including in east Jerusalem "in the coming months", was part of "understandings" reached with both the Palestinians and Washington.

Some Israelis are disgusted at the release of men they consider terrorists

The latest army radio report said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Interior Minister Gideon Saar had agreed to build 1,500 new homes in the east Jerusalem settlement of Ramat Shlomo.

All 26 newly-released prisoners were convicted for killing Israelis, with most of the attacks occurring before the 1993 Oslo Accords, which granted the Palestinians limited self-rule but failed to usher in an independent state.

Palestinians started celebrating hours before the 26 men were released

Netanyahu agreed to release 104 prisoners in stages as part of the resumption of talks after three years in late July. A first tranche of 26 was freed on August 13.

Israel announced plans for more than 2,000 new settler homes in tandem with the August prisoner release, enraging the Palestinians.

The talks are held under a US-imposed media blackout but a senior Palestinian official said that Israel had adopted a hardline stance and negotiations had so far produced "no tangible progress".

A boy plays with a duck at the home of one of the prisoners who was freed

"The current Israeli negotiating position is the worst in more than 20 years," Yasser Abed Rabbo, a top official with the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said in a statement.

"They want security first, and that the borders of the state of Palestine should be set out according to Israeli security needs that never end, and that will undermine the possibility of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state."

A boy kisses a photo of his grandfather ahead of his release after 30 years

Although Israel is engaged in direct peace talks with the Palestinians the prisoners' release has sparked tensions within Netanyahu's coalition.

"The decision to release the prisoners is one of the most difficult I've had to make," Netanyahu told his right-wing Likud party on Monday.

"It is unjust because these terrorists are being released before completing their sentence. My heart is with the families of the victims."

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