Israel starts releasing held Palestinians
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-21 13:55

Israel on Monday began to release a first wave of 500 Palestinian security prisoners, fulfilling a promise it made at an Israeli-Palestinian summit meeting in Egypt earlier this month, where leaders declared an end to four years of bloodshed.

Palestinians, no names available, who were deported more than two years ago from the West Bank to Gaza wave to members of the media from a bus on the Israeli side of the Erez Crossing, in the northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005. Sixteen Palestinians and their families who were expelled by Israel to the Gaza Strip more than two years ago left Gaza en route to their homes in the West Bank on Sunday. [AP]

Early Monday 14 buses, escorted by police and ambulances, were seen leaving the military prison camp at Ketziot, in southern Israel's Negev desert, near the border with Egypt.

A Palestinian prisoner seen in a bus on the way out from Keziot jail in Israel February 21, 2005. Buses carried handcuffed Palestinians from an Israeli jail on Monday to be freed among 500 prisoners in the largest release for nearly a decade, meant to bolster peace efforts by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. [Reuters]

Israeli military officials said that by midday all 500 were expected to have been delivered to drop-off points on the edges of the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Among those slated for release were 44 who were involved in attacks, most against soldiers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Up to now, Israel has insisted it would not release prisoners with "blood on their hands." The 44 militants could set a precedent for the release of others behind attacks.

Israel is planning to release 400 more prisoners within the next three months. A joint Israeli-Palestinian ministerial committee will decide which prisoners will be released in the second round.

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