JERUSALEM (ANTARA/AFP) - Israel was on Sunday preparing to release 550 Palestinian prisoners who will be freed after nightfall to complete a swap deal which brought about the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit. The release operation was expected to take place late in the evening, when the prisoners would be bussed to drop-off points near the West Bank city of Ramallah and along the Gaza border. Among the prisoners earmarked for release is Salah Hamuri, a French-Palestinian who was convicted of plotting to assassinate a Jewish religious leader and had been due to complete his seven-year sentence in March. There are also six women. Unlike in the first stage of the deal, which saw the release in October of 477 Palestinians including hundreds serving life for killing Israelis, Sunday's operation will not include anyone "with blood on their hands," officials on both sides said. The Israel Prisons Service said 40 of those to be freed would be returned to their homes in Gaza, two to Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, two to Jordan and the remainder to the occupied West Bank. The vast majority of prisoners were expected to be turned loose from Ofer prison near Ramallah at 10:00 pm (2000 GMT), while the Gaza residents would be freed at the same time at the Kerem Shalom border crossing.(*)

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