Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel also agreed to grant amnesty to 178 members of the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades if they pledged to stop attacking Israel.
Israel released 255 Palestinian prisoners on Friday as part of a series of goodwill gestures designed to bolster Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in his standoff against Hamas.
Israel on Friday freed more than 250 Palestinian prisoners, who flashed victory signs to a West Bank heroes' welcome, in a move promoted to bolster moderate president Mahmud Abbas.
Family and friends joyously hugged 255 Palestinians freed by Israel on Friday, hoisting them on shoulders for a boisterous heroes' welcome meant to give President Mahmoud Abbas a political boost in his power struggle with Hamas.
Israel released more than 250 Palestinian prisoners Friday, aiming to bolster embattled President Mahmoud Abbas in his power struggle with the Islamic militants of Hamas, which took control of Gaza by force last month.
Israel on Friday denounced an alliance between Iran and Syria that it said cast doubts on Syrian peace intentions, following a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Damascus.
Israel freed more than 250 Palestinian prisoners on Friday as part of a U.S.-backed deal to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after Hamas Islamists took over the Gaza Strip last month.
Israel released more than 250 Palestinian prisoners Friday, in an attempt to bolster moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his power struggle with Hamas. Most of those freed were from Abbas' Fatah movement.
In an attempt to bolster the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel Friday bused 255 security prisoners to the outskirts of his de facto capital of Ramallah in the West Bank and released them.
Israel Friday freed 255 Palestinian prisoners, most of them members of the Fatah Party or its armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.