Israel freed 255 Palestinian captives on Friday as part of a series of goodwill gestures in an attempt to bolster Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in his power struggle with Hamas.
All the prisoners were released by around 8 A.M., Israel Radio reported. They were put aboard buses in handcuffs and were being taken to the Beitunya checkpoint near Ramallah, where they were transferred to the control of the Palestinian Authority.
Israel had been projected to release 256 prisoners, but the release of one of the Palestinians was delayed at the request of security officials, the AP reported.
Most of those freed are from Abbas' Fatah movement. Prominent among them is 61-year-old Abdel Rahim Malouh, second in command in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which assassinated Israeli minister Rehavam Ze'evi in 2001.
All the prisoners signed a form undertaking to refrain from any "terror" activity in the future. Palestinian officials welcomed Friday's release, and said they hoped more inmates would be freed soon.
"This release breaks the ice between us and the Israelis on the issue of prisoners," said Ziad Abu Ein, the Palestinian deputy minister of prisoner affairs.
