GAZA STRIP/JERUSALEM/ISRAEL: ISRAEL CABINET AGREES TO FREE DOZENS OF PALESTINIAN PRISONERS

Record ID: 400793

  • Title: GAZA STRIP/JERUSALEM/ISRAEL: ISRAEL CABINET AGREES TO FREE DOZENS OF PALESTINIAN PRISONERS
  • Date: 12th December 2004
  • Summary: (U4) JERUSALEM (DECEMBER 12, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SV RAANAN GISSIN, ADVISOR TO ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON, WALKING TOWARDS CAMERA 0.04 2. MCU (English) GISSIN SAYING: "Today the cabinet has approved, in principal, the release of prisoners, Palestinian prisoners, who answer the criteria that the government established last July when the priso
  • Embargoed: 27th December 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP / JERUSALEM / MEGIDO PRISON, ISRAEL
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVAA8IKWBUSMXV07A5BCGUUAACTP
  • Story Text: Israeli cabinet agrees to free dozens of Palestinian
    prisoners.



    Israel's cabinet agreed on Sunday (December 12) to
    free dozens of Palestinian prisoners in a move meant to
    show goodwill ahead of elections to replace Yasser Arafat,
    officials said.

    Israeli concessions before the vote are seen as
    boosting the chances of Mohammed Abbas, known as Abu Maze,
    a former prime minister seen as a moderate.

    The move also comes amid hopes that Arafat's death
    could revive chances for a Middle East peace settlement.

    The freeing of Palestinian prisoners had also been
    expected as a gesture to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak,
    who released convicted Israeli spy Azzam Azzam last week.

    "Today the cabinet has approved, in principal, the
    release of prisoners, Palestinian prisoners, who answer the
    criteria that the government established last July when the
    prisoners' release went into effect to the government of
    Abu Mazen," said Raanan Gissin, advisor to Israeli Prime
    Minister Ariel Sharon.

    The cabinet did not say when the Palestinian prisoners
    would be freed or who would be on the list, but Gissin said
    no prisoners with "blood on their hands" would be released.

    "There will be no release of prisoners with blood on
    their hands, prisoners whose term is about to terminate
    will be considered for release. Altogether, I think we're
    speaking about between 100 and 200 prisoners who will be
    released and I emphasise, as a gesture to (Egyptian)
    President Mubarak. Of course, in the future, if we will
    move towards the political solution and the Palestinians
    will fulfil their required steps, there will be additional
    prisoner releases, I'm sure. But that of course depends
    very much on the performance of the newly-elected or
    newly-appointed government," Gissin said.

    Palestinians demand the release of all 6,000 detainees
    arrested in Israeli sweeps for suspected militants during a
    4-year-old uprising. Some are being held without trial.

    Hisham Abdel Razik, Minister for Palestinian Prisoner
    Affairs, said prisoners who have spent decades behind bars
    should be considered for release first.

    "I believe the decision (to release Palestinian
    prisoners) comes within an understanding between the
    brothers in Egypt and the Israeli side in the wake of the
    release of Azzam Azzam. We have no information about the
    issue neither from our brothers in Egypt nor from the
    Israeli side. Prisoners who spent decades in prison, old
    prisoners must be freed if that step was to be meaningful
    and of a positive political impact. Old prisoners must have
    the priority to be freed. Their release would have a
    positive impact on the Palestinian street," Razik said.

    Israel has said it would only release prisoners who
    have not plotted or carried out attacks that killed
    Israelis.


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