Israel: Israel has released 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal that will see peace talks resume on Wednesday.
Buses carrying the inmates drove them from a prison in central Israel to the Beitunia checkpoint in the West Bank and the Erez crossing with Gaza.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greeted the 11 sent to the West Bank, while crowds met the other 15 in Gaza.
Israeli and Palestinian representatives will begin direct talks in Jerusalem after a three-year hiatus.
There was a festive atmosphere in the West Bank village of Beitunia when the freed prisoners passed through the nearby checkpoint early on Wednesday.
The men were then driven to the Muqataa presidential compound in Ramallah, where they were kissed and embraced by President Abbas.
Celebrations have begun in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip to welcome home the prisoners. Most have been in jail for some 20 years.
