Tamam Masoud, 70, mother of Omar, 40, who was arrested in May 1993 for killing an Israeli lawyer, greets her neighbors while holding a banner in front of her family house at Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013. Masoud is one of 26 Palestinian prisoners Israel approved to release, in the second batch to be freed since August under the terms of renewed US-brokered peace talks. It is the second of four planned releases of the longest-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in the coming months. The Arabic on the banner reads, "On the 20th anniversary of his arrest, PFLP (the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) salute comrade prisoner Omar Masoud, Freedom for prisoners." (AP Photo/Adel Hana) (The Associated Press)
JERUSALEM – Israel's Supreme Court has cleared the way for the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners, a move meant to expedite peace talks.
The court rejected an appeal late Tuesday seeking to cancel the planned release.
The appeal had claimed the prisoners, all convicted in connection to the deaths of Israelis, will return to violence. This is the second of four sets of prisoners to be released as part of a deal that set in motion the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
The release is expected to take place overnight. Tuesday's release was the second of four stages expected to free 104 convicts in the coming months.
Several dozen Israeli protesters demonstrated outside the West Bank prison where the inmates were held ahead of the release.
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