Region | Palestinian Territories
Israel cabinet okays release of 250 Palestinian prisoners
Israel's cabinet on Sunday agreed to release 250 Palestinian prisoners in a bid to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the emergency government he formed after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip.
- Agencies
- Published: 11:01 July 8, 2007
- Image Credit: AP
- A Palestinian supporter at a recent protest to demand the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Occupied Jerusalem: Israel's cabinet on Sunday agreed to release 250 Palestinian prisoners in a bid to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the emergency government he formed after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip.
Following the cabinet decision, confirmed by a government official, Israeli authorities will finalise a release roster comprised of prisoners from Abbas's Fatah faction.
Olmert had pledged to free prisoners of Abbas's Fatah movement in a June 25 summit with the Palestinian leader as part of a Western campaign to bolster the new administration he named after sacking a unity government with Hamas Islamists.
The United States and European Union have been prodding Olmert to nurture contacts with Abbas's emergency government in the hope it can lead to a resumption of contacts towards resuming long-stalled peace talks.
In a goodwill gesture last week, Israel released Palestinian tax funds it had frozen a year ago when Hamas rose to power, a move that helped enable Abbas to pay Palestinian civil servants full salaries for the first time in 17 months.
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