Palestinian prisoners return home

Palestinians could be seen flashing victory signs as a bus arrived at this Israeli-controlled detention camp near the West Bank city of Ramallah, an AFP correspondent reported. The group was expected to be delivered to the Beitunia checkpoint later to be reunited with their families.

They were among the first of a batch of around 340 prisoners who were expected to be freed on Wednesday after being transferred from the prisons of Ketziot, in the southern Negev desert, and Meggido, in northern Israel.

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The first major batch of "security prisoners" to be released by Israel would eventually be dispatched to the checkpoints of Salem, Tulkarem, Beitunia, Tarqumiyeh in the West Bank, and the Erez crossing point into the northern Gaza Strip.

According to lists published Monday by Israel's prison services, 342 Palestinians held for security reasons are to be released.

The list includes 159 "administrative detainees", suspected militants who have not faced trial. Another 183 have been convicted of anti-Israeli activity.

None of the men to be released on Wednesday has been involved in deadly anti-Israeli attacks, in line with the criteria set by Israel for the release of prisoners.

The Palestinians have demanded the release of all the estimated 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and have expressed outrage at what they see as a miserly figure.

Palestinian militant groups have conditioned the three-month suspension of anti-Israeli attacks they declared on June 29 on the unconditional release of all Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli security fears that militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad are taking advantage of the so-called "hudna" to build up their arsenals.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was due to convene his security cabinet Wednesday to discuss the threat posed by "the strengthening of terrorist infrastructure" in the Palestinian territories during the truce, public radio reported.