Israeli court decision paves way for 2nd Palestinian prisoner release

JERUSALEM – Israel’s Supreme Court cleared the way for the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday, the second of four batches set to be freed as part of a deal that set in motion the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

The decision to release the 26 has triggered anguish and anger in Israel, where many view the men as terrorists who have committed grisly crimes against Israelis. But jubilant celebrations are expected in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, where the prisoners are set to be received by their families and Palestinian leaders. The release is expected to take place overnight.

The court appeal claimed that in light of a recent spate of deadly attacks on Israelis in the West Bank, the government should review the decision it made earlier this year to release the convicts. The Supreme Court rejected that claim and ruled that there was no legal basis to cancel the release.

An organization of bereaved families behind the appeal has said it fears the prisoners, all convicted in connection to the deaths of Israelis, will return to violence once freed.

Highlighting the opposition to the move, some 50 Israelis protested outside the West Bank prison where the inmates were held ahead of the release. They held signs reading “death to murderers” and burned keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian headscarves. Over a thousand people demonstrated against the release on Monday.

Tuesday’s release is part of an agreement brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to get Israel and the Palestinians back to the table for peace talks that had been paralyzed since 2008. It is the second of four stages expected to free 104 convicts in the coming months.