Israel has released the first wave of Palestinian prisoners under a U.S.-brokered deal to resume peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. On Tuesday, 26 inmates were returned home to the West Bank and Gaza, about one-quarter of the total set to receive their freedom. Most have been behind bars for over two decades. The peace talks continue in Jerusalem today after their launch in Washington last month. But on the eve of the new sessions and just hours before the prisoners’ release, the Israeli government announced yet another new round of settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. More than 900 settlements homes were approved near the Palestinian town of Beit Jala. This comes on top of the 1,200 settlement units approved on Sunday.