Israel to release more Palestinians

Israel Sunday prepared to release 550 Palestinian prisoners in the second stage of the exchange deal that secured the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Israel Radio said the prisoners should be freed Sunday night, Israel Radio said. Most the prisoners are members of Fatah and charged with crimes such as firearms violations, throwing firebombs and lobbing stones, Ynetnews.com reported. The majority of the prisoners will be released to the West Bank, 40 will return to the Gaza Strip and two to east Jerusalem, Ynetnews.com said. More than 400 of the prisoners have already served two-thirds of their sentences, which ranged from a few months to 18 years, but none were charged with murder, the site said. The High Court of Justice Thursday and Friday rejected petitions opposing the prisoners' releases and Sunday morning, President Shimon Peres was posed to sign clemency orders, the Web site said. Israel released 450 prisoners on Oct. 18 in accordance with an Egyptian mediated deal that led to Shalit's release.