Jordan releases four prisoners serving terms for killing Israelis

Amman: Four prisoners serving terms in a Jordanian jail for killing Israelis have been released on Wednesday, under public pressure after a recent Hezbollah-Israel prisoner swap deal, officials said.

The men, who were serving life sentences, were handed over by Israel last year to complete their jail terms at home.

The move has angered Israeli diplomats who say it breaches the terms of a deal last July when the four were to spend 18 months in a local prison before their release.

Sultan Ajlouni, Amin Sanae and Khaled and Yousef Abu Ghaleon were convicted of two separate cross border incidents in which two Israelis were killed, officials say.

Jordanian officials insist the deal sanctions the immediate release of the prisoners if Israel agreed to free Palestinians or Arabs serving life sentences for militant attacks in any future prisoner swap with Hezbollah or Hamas.

The government was facing increasing criticism by some independent politicians and the Islamist-led opposition for agreeing to the deal they see as humiliating.