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Israel releases 26 Palestinian prisoners Israel releases 26 Palestinian prisoners
(about 2 hours later)
Israel has released 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal that will see peace talks resume this week. Israel has released 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal that will see peace talks resume on Wednesday.
Buses carrying the inmates drove them from a prison in central Israel to the Beitunia crossing in the West Bank and the Erez crossing with the Gaza Strip.Buses carrying the inmates drove them from a prison in central Israel to the Beitunia crossing in the West Bank and the Erez crossing with the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greeted the 11 sent to the West Bank, while crowds met the other 15 in Gaza.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greeted the 11 sent to the West Bank, while crowds met the other 15 in Gaza.
Israeli and Palestinian representatives will begin direct talks in Jerusalem on Wednesday after a three-year hiatus. Israeli and Palestinian representatives will begin direct talks in Jerusalem after a three-year hiatus.
Failed legal moves 'Just the beginning'
The men were driven away from the Ayalon prison complex late at night in vehicles with darkened windows to avoid any display of triumphalism. Mr Abbas kissed and embraced each of the prisoners returned to the West Bank at the Muqataa presidential compound in the city of Ramallah on Tuesday evening.
Small groups of Israeli protesters had gathered outside the prison and jeered as the buses drove off. The men then prayed at the tomb of the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, before joining the president on a podium to cheers from hundreds of people waiting to see them.
Relatives and friends of the freed men gathered on the frontiers with Gaza and the West Bank, with bands playing bagpipes parading through flag-waving crowds. In a speech, Mr Abbas said he would not rest "until we free all the prisoners from Israeli jails".
The inmates were named by Israel's prison service shortly after midnight on Sunday, giving victims' families 48 hours to submit legal challenges to the High Court. "You are just the beginning and the rest will come," he told the former inmates.
Earlier on Tuesday, the court rejected an appeal by a victims' rights group that objected to the release of all the prisoners. Israel has agreed to free a further 78 long-serving prisoners as part of a deal to revive the peace process. The releases will take place in four tranches over a period of nine months, depending on progress in the talks.
Meanwhile, Palestinian negotiators have reacted angrily to news that the Israeli authorities have approved the building of more than 1,000 homes in settlements on land claimed by the Palestinians. Later, the former prisoners were mobbed by relatives, friends and well-wishers. Several of them were hoisted onto shoulders and paraded through the crowd.
Israel says the new homes will be built on land they would expect to keep as part of any future deal on territory. In northern Gaza, hundreds of people gathered at the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing to greet the prisoners. Fireworks lit the night sky, as supporters of the rival Hamas and Fatah factions, including several masked gunmen, made victory signs and waved flags.
US Secretary of State John Kerry says the Palestinians remain committed to the talks despite the settlement issue. Earlier in the evening, two buses carrying the 26 Palestinians, many of whom were convicted of grisly killings, left Ayalon prison near Tel Aviv. Relatives of their victims, many with their hands painted red, jeered and briefly tried to block the road.
About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Palestinians want to establish their state in those areas, as well as the Gaza Strip. One bus headed off to the Erez crossing, while the other went to Ofer prison, near Ramallah, where they were handed over to Palestinian officials before being taken to Ramallah.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this. The released prisoners were named by the Israeli Prison Service shortly after midnight on Sunday, giving Israelis 48 hours to submit legal challenges to the Supreme Court. The court rejected an appeal by a victims' rights group that objected to all the releases on Tuesday.
Settlement move 'expected'
Despite the positive Palestinian reaction to the prisoner releases, many fear Wednesday's talks will be overshadowed by the Israeli housing ministry's decision on Sunday to issue tenders for the building of 793 housing units in East Jerusalem and 394 elsewhere in the West Bank.
Palestinian representatives accused Israel of trying to sabotage the negotiations.
About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
On Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged the Palestinians "not to react adversely".
He said the announcement was "to some degree expected", but that he did not expect it would derail the negotiations.
Mr Kerry stated that the US "views all of the settlements as illegitimate" and had "communicated that policy very clearly to Israel".
"I think that what this underscores, actually, is the importance of getting to the table and getting to the table quickly," he added.
On Tuesday, it emerged that the municipality of Jerusalem had approved a further 900 homes close to the Jewish settlement of Gilo in East Jerusalem. A city councillor said construction would not begin for years.