Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard has been released today after 30 years in jail.

The terms of his parole, however, mean that he cannot leave the United States, among other restrictions.

In July, Mr Pollard’s lawyers issued a statement urging President Barack Obama to “allow Mr Pollard to leave the United States and move to Israel”, and last week he offered to renounce his American citizenship to be allowed to travel to Israel upon his release.

However, he is currently still banned from leaving the US for five years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed Israeli officials to keep reactions to Mr Pollard’s release low-key, due to concern that any celebrations might harm efforts to have the restrictions on him reduced.

The Free Pollard campaign has decided not to hold any public rallies or events to mark his release for similar reasons.

Mr Pollard was arrested in 1985 and sentenced to life in prison for passing large numbers of classified documents to Israel. He was granted Israeli citizenship in 1995.