Israel to release second group of Palestinian prisoners

Jerusalem, Oct 21: Israel will Oct 29 release the second group of Palestinian prisoners in line with a cabinet decision taken in July, Xinhua reported Monday.

In July, the Israeli cabinet voted in favour of releasing 104 Palestinian prisoners in batches, as a gesture to the Palestinian Authority, amid the renewal of peace talks between two sides later that month.

The Israeli Prison Service will publish in the upcoming week a list of 30 prisoners set to be released, Xinhua cited the Walla news website, based on accounts of Palestinian officials.

The first of 26 prisoners was released Aug 13.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been resumed in July after a three-year hiatus, due to Israel's settlements expansion in the West Bank, on lands annexed during the 1967 Mideast War.

IANS