Israel began transporting the remains of 91 terrorists to the Palestinian Authority Thursday morning, as part of a good will gesture by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Operation “Crossing Jordan” will see the remains of 91 terrorists, responsible for murdering hundreds of Israelis, transferred to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A convoy of six trucks will transfer the remains of 79 terrorists to Ramallah, while two additional trucks will travel to Erez crossing, with the remains of 12 terrorists.

GOC Central Command’s Chief Rabbi Lt.-Colonel Yoav Oknin will oversee the operation.

The operation was launched in early May, when the IDF Rabbinate began exhuming and verifying the identities of the remains, buried in the enemy combatants’ cemetery in the Jordan Valley.

En route (Photo: Ido Erez)

The IDF Rabbinate drafted dozens of its reserve soldiers to assist in the operation, which was conducted under a closed military zone order, as well as a media embargo.

The Palestinian Authority is planning an official ceremony to mark the remains “homecoming” at the Mukataa in Ramallah, with President Abbas and top Palestinian officials in attendance.

Following the service, the remains will be shuttled to the various Palestinian cities for burial.

Hamas government in Gaza is planning a full military service for the remains. Members of all Palestinian factions are expected to attend. The remains of each terrorist will receive a 21-gun solute.

The Almagor Terror Victims Association, which objected to the move, said it will petition the High Court to order the government to release the full list of terrorists included in the deal.

“The victims’ families and the Israeli public deserve to be made aware of facts that the Palestinian public already knows,” the group said in a statement.