(6 Aug 2003) Buses carrying prisoners slated for release began leaving Israeli prisons on Wednesday morning, bound for various roadblocks around the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The first bus left Ketziot prison in southern Israel round 0830 local time (0530 GMT), heading toward Salem checkpoint near Jenin.
Palestinians were also released from Megiddo prison, just a few kilometres across the border from the northern West Bank.
The Israeli government said it would officially release the prisoners at several West Bank and Gaza checkpoints at 1430 local time (1130 GMT).
Israel is holding about 77-hundred prisoners and Palestinians demand that Israel free thousands of them.
Israel, however, has said it will not release Palestinians involved in terror attacks.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat called the release a "deceit", saying most prisoners to be freed had nearly completed their prison terms.
The latest release list includes 443 prisoners.
Most were to be freed on Wednesday, but about 100, convicted of crimes, would be released later, officials said.
Israel has said releasing prisoners is not part of the US-backed "road map" peace plan, but the issue has become an obstacle to implementing the blueprint.
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