Ramallah: Almost 200 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel received a hero's welcome in the West Bank on Monday, as thousands gathered to greet the freed inmates.
Jubilant crowds of several thousand Palestinians gathered at the Palestinian Authority compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah to welcome the 198 prisoners.
The 194 men and four women were released by Israel as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"There is no doubt that we seek peace and we are trying to seek our goals -- and there won't be peace without the release of all prisoners," Abbas said at the celebration.
The prisoners were transferred to the Beitunya checkpoint outside the West Bank city from Ofer prison earlier on Monday.
Several knelt on the ground and touched their heads to the pavement in a gesture of thanksgiving.
Initially 199 prisoners were to be released, but one was detained over a separate criminal charge, Israeli Prison Services spokesman Yaron Zamir said.
Those due to be released include two of the longest-serving Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Said Al Attaba had been serving a life sentence since 1977 for killing an Israeli woman, and Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Ali has been in jail since 1979 for killing an Israeli student.
"This is a great joy for our mothers and our people but it remains a small step because we left behind us thousands of prisoners," Attaba said.
Israel hopes the gesture will help bolster support for Abbas, and show Palestinians that dialogue can achieve results.
"It's not easy to release prisoners, especially prisoners that were involved directly in terrorist acts against innocent civilians," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Israel saw the release was a "confidence-building measure, a gesture" to Abbas that may "serve to strengthen the Israeli-Palestinian peace process", Regev added.
