Israel to release 400 Palestinian prisoners as 'goodwill gesture' (moved from ATSNN), page 1

Israeli leaders have decided to release 400 Palestinian prisoners as a 'goodwill gesture'. Israeli ministers state that they will be set free later this week and their names will be placed on the internet. Officials have stated that none of these Palestinian prisoners were accused of killing Israelis.

news.independent.co.uk
Israeli ministers have agreed to release 400 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas. A spokesman said they would be set free later this week after their names were put on the internet.

Officials said that none of them was involved in killing Israelis. The government had considered releasing some convicted of terrorism before the 1993 Oslo peace agreement, but dropped that under pressure from the Shin Bet internal security service.

Ra'anan Gissin, media adviser to the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, insisted: "We are not in the business of a wholesale release of prisoners. Those sentenced before Oslo will have to serve their full term."

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Sufian Abu Zaydeh, a Palestinian prisoner claims that this release is 'does not meet their minimal demands' and prisoners sentences to long terms before Oslo as well as women, teenagers and people who are sick should also be released.

Israel is holding a total of 8,000 prisoners. According to Palestinians, 240 are serving 'pre-Oslo' life sentences, 400 are teenagers, 120 are women and 76 are in the hospital.

[edit on 5/30/2005 by Simulacra]