Israel released 57 Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank Monday in an effort to bolster support for Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas. Another 29 Palestinian prisoners are scheduled to be released to the Gaza Strip today. Over 10,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons.

Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum: “We are in Hamas supporting the freedom for all Palestinian detainees, and we all appreciate their return back to their homes and to their lands, because they are arrested according to the crimes of this occupation which was committed against them and against the Palestinians at all. But we are refused that the policy of the Israeli occupation toward freedom of 10th of the Palestinian detainees, and they are arrested hundreds of them.”