Israel released 429 Palestinian prisoners today to bolster President Mahmoud Abbas domestically after last week's international conference on Palestinian statehood.
The inmates, most of whom belong to Mr Abbas's secular Fatah movement and serving sentences up to 15 years, were taken from the desert prison of Kitsiyot to Israel's borders with the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
Mahmoud Barbari, whose brother was arrested shortly before another of his brothers was released.
Israel's prisons service said 20 prisoners were sent to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and 409 to a crossing near the West Bank city of Ramallah, where a homecoming reception took place, attended by Palestinian Authority officials and families.
Israel has refused to commute sentences of Palestinians jailed over lethal militant attacks but today's release is intended to strengthen Mr Abbas against the more popular Hamas, which seized Gaza in June and has rejected the latest peace moves.
"Israel understands it is crucial to reinforce the political dialogue by concrete actions on the ground," said an Israel government spokesman.
"We are hopeful that today's release will help to contribute to the growing momentum in the political dialogue between us and the Palestinians."
Mr Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert began formal peace talks at last week's conference in the United States. They hope to reach a peace agreement by the end of 2008.
Israeli forces today continued to make arrests today, rounding up 42 people suspected of militant activity in the West Bank and Gaza.
One of those seized was Khaled Barbari. His family said he was taken by Israeli troops as he travelled to the homecoming celebration for his brother, Ahmad, who was freed today.
"They simply made an exchange. They released Ahmad and arrested Khaled," said another brother.
There are nearly 11,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. The Jewish state says most are there for involvement in militant groups behind a Palestinian revolt that erupted in 2000.