Israel to release 26 Palestinian prisoners in bid to re-initiate peace talks

Israel government has announced the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday to re-initiate the peace talks, in a bid to swap lands occupied by Jews in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

A statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was published overnight declaring the release of prisoners, BBC reports.

However, the statement also mentioned that if anyone of the prisoners being released shall engage in hostile activity against Israel, he will be returned to complete his sentence.

The delay will, meanwhile, give time to victims' families for last-minute legal challenges against the release, the report added.

Earlier, Palestinian officials had criticized Israel for approving 1,200 new settlement homes in their region.

However, the Israeli government had clarified that every peace initiative so far had proposed to declare the settlements as Israeli territory.

About 500,000 Jews reportedly live in more than 100 illegal settlements, as per international law, built since the time Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967.

The Palestinians are now willing to accept land swaps in a bid to move forward the peace talks between the two nations.

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Earlier, the Israeli cabinet had approved the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners over the coming months, as part of efforts to restart US negotiated direct peace talks after a three-year gap.