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Occupied Jerusalem: Israel will release more Palestinian prisoners by the end of August as a gesture of goodwill, an official announced on Wednesday.
"The Israeli side will be releasing Palestinan prisoners towards the end of August ... as a gesture of goodwill," Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said after the Israeli leader met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israel released five Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday in the final stage of the prisoner exchange with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The cabinet approved the release of the prisoners, none of whom were involved in deadly attacks, earlier this week.
The five Palestinian youths were released from an Israeli prison and crossed into the West Bank town of Tulkarem.
The teenagers were greeted by their families upon being released.
All five were minors serving short sentences for throwing stones and other objects and were due to be freed next year, according to data posted on the Prisons Authority Web site.
Under the swap deal last month, Israel freed five Lebanese prisoners and handed over the remains of nearly 200 Arab fighters in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers.
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