By KUNA
Ramallah : Israel will release 431 Palestinian prisoners on Monday, Israel Radio said on Sunday.
Prisoners from the West Bank will be taken from Negev Prison to Bitonia crossing near Ramallah, while prisoners from Gaza are to be transferred to Beit Hanoun crossing in northern Gaza Strip as a prelude to setting them free, the radio said.
The Israeli move comes as a goodwill gesture towards Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Palestinian prisoners were supposed to be freed concurrently with the Annapolis summit, but Israel put the step on the back burner under the pretext that Abbas asked it to release them following the US-hosted meeting, an allegation that was denied by the Palestinian side.
Some 11,000 Palestinian prisoners including women, children, elderly, and sick people are held at Israeli jails, and some have spent 25 years behind bars.