JERUSALEM, Sept 7 (AFP) - Israeli authorities released a total of 137 Palestinian detainees in a bid to ease overcrowding in its prisons, public radio reported Tuesday.
Another 24 other detainees would be freed for the same reason on Wednesday, said the radio report which added that none of the prisoners had been implicated in deadly attacks.
There was no immediate confirmation of the report from the Israeli prison service or from the army which holds nearly half of the 8,000 Palestinian detainees.
Palestinian prisoners called off a hunger strike last week which had been launched in protest at their conditions, although Israeli officials had insisted that no concessions had been made.
It would be the first large-scale release of Palestinians since around 400 were freed at the start of the year as part of a controversial deal with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.