Israel freed about 340 Palestinian prisoners in a bid to jump-start halting peace efforts - but the gesture fell flat among Palestinians, who had hoped for a mass release and said authorities chose mostly prisoners whose terms were about to expire anyway. Still, emotional scenes were played out at the five handover points throughout the West Bank and Gaza, as freed men kissed the ground and waiting relatives chanted "God is Great" and pounded on drums before whisking the former inmates to festive hometown welcomes. Many Palestinians expressed strong dissatisfaction with Israel's perceived failure to send an unequivocal message that a new page has been turned after almost three years of deadly violence.

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