Buses transported about 66 Palestinian detainees from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank to Ramallah and 15 others to a detention center in East Jerusalem, from where they were released. A total of 29 prisoners convicted of involvement in attacks against Israelis are to be deported to Egypt and other countries, said the official.

Hamas freed three Israeli and five Thai hostages in Gaza on Thursday and Israel released 110 Palestinian prisoners after delaying the process in anger at the swarming crowds at one of the hostage handover points.