JERUSALEM, Aug 13: Israel began the process of releasing 26 Palestinian prisoners late Tuesday, an initial gesture on the eve of renewed Mideast negotiations.

Thousands of Palestinians have spent time in Israeli prisons since Israel's capture of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in 1967. They were jailed on charges ranging from throwing rocks to killing civilians in bombings and other attacks The decision to release the men has stirred anguish in Israel, particularly among the relatives of those killed in attacks. Meanwhile celebrations were planned in the Palestinian territory, where Palestinians generally view the prisoners as heroes, regardless of their acts, arguing they made personal sacrifices in the struggle for independence.

The Israeli prison service said buses carrying the inmates left the Ayalon jail in central Israel late on Tuesday. Israel released them late at night to prevent a spectacle. Some protesters tried in a symbolic move to block the buses from leaving the jail.

Most of the prisoners were convicted of killings, including Israeli civilians and suspected Palestinian collaborators, while others were involved in attempted murder or kidnapping.—AP