Olmert delays Palestinian prisoner release

ABC NEWS, Reuters : September 16, 2007
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert delayed a plan to release from prison scores of members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah movement, Israeli officials said.

Officials said Mr Olmert had planned to ask the Cabinet on Sunday to release more prisoners, but the item was removed from the agenda amid fears it would not garner enough support. Plans to release more prisoners have already been delayed once.

"The Cabinet is not going to vote on this tomorrow," a spokesman for the Prime Minister's office said.

One government official, who asked not to be named, said the vote had been delayed because a list of prisoners had not been agreed upon.

Mr Olmert told Mr Abbas at a meeting on Monday he would ask his cabinet to approve the prisoner release as a goodwill gesture for the Ramadan fasting month, which began this week, Palestinian officials said.

Israel had been expected to free around 100 Fatah prisoners.

Israel has already freed more than 250 prisoners, mostly Fatah members, as part of a plan to bolster Mr Abbas against Islamist rivals Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in June.

The issue of releasing prisoners is highly emotive for Palestinians, who see their some 11,000 brethren held in Israeli jails as fighters for freedom from Israeli occupation in the West Bank.

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Israel's Olmert delays Palestinian prisoner release
Yahoo! Asia News: Sunday September 16, 2007
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert delayed a plan to release from prison scores of members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah movement, Israeli officials said on Saturday. Officials said Olmert had planned to ask the cabinet on Sunday to release more prisoners, but the item was removed from the agenda amid fears it would not garner enough support. Plans to release more prisoners have already been delayed once.

"The cabinet is not going to vote on this tomorrow," a spokesman for the prime minister's office said.

One government official, who asked not to be named, said the vote had been delayed because a list of prisoners had not been agreed upon.

Olmert told Abbas at a meeting on Monday he would ask his cabinet to approve the prisoner release as a goodwill gesture for the Ramadan fasting month, which began this week, Palestinian officials said. Israel had been expected to free around 100 Fatah prisoners.

Israel has already freed more than 250 prisoners, mostly Fatah members, as part of a plan to bolster Abbas against Islamist rivals Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in June.

It is unclear whether Olmert has enough support to push through the plan after a series of rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza in recent weeks rekindled calls within the Jewish state for tougher action against militants to curb the salvoes.

The officials said any prisoners to be released would have "no blood on their hands" and at least one year left on their sentences. They would be released on condition they signed a document promising not to be involved in violence.

Olmert is engaged in talks with Western-backed Abbas to prepare for a U.S.-sponsored Middle East peace conference expected in November.

The issue of releasing prisoners is highly emotive for Palestinians, who see their some 11,000 brethren held in Israeli jails as fighters for freedom from Israeli occupation in the West Bank.

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Olmert delays Palestinian prisoner release
Cabinet support called uncertain
The Boston Globe: Reuters September 16, 2007
JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel delayed a plan to release from prison scores of members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah movement, Israeli officials said yesterday.

Officials said Olmert had planned to ask the Cabinet today to release more prisoners, but the item was removed from the agenda amid fears that it would not garner enough support. Plans to release more prisoners have already been delayed once.

One government official, who asked not to be named, said the vote had been delayed because a list of prisoners had not been agreed upon.

Palestinian officials said that Olmert told Abbas at a meeting Monday he would ask his Cabinet to approve the prisoner release as a good-will gesture for the Ramadan fasting month, which began last week. Israel had been expected to free about 100 Fatah prisoners.

Israel has already freed more than 250 prisoners, mostly Fatah members, as part of a plan to bolster Abbas against Islamist rivals Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in June.

It is unclear whether Olmert has enough support to push through the plan after a series of rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza in recent weeks rekindled calls within the Jewish state for tougher action against militants to curb the salvoes.

The officials said any prisoners to be released would have "no blood on their hands" and at least one year left on their sentences. They would be released if they signed a document promising not to be involved in violence.

Olmert is engaged in talks with Western-backed Abbas to prepare for a US-sponsored Middle East peace conference expected in November.

The estimated 11,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails are viewed by Palestinians as fighters for freedom from Israeli occupation in the West Bank.

Separately yesterday, the Israeli Army arrested 12 protesters at a rally near the West Bank city of Nablus after they hurled stones at soldiers and tried to force their way through a checkpoint, an army spokesman said.

Two of those arrested were Palestinians and the rest were Israelis and foreigners. One protester was slightly injured and taken to a hospital, the spokesman said, adding that about 40 people attended the rally.

An Israeli newspaper website said the protesters were demonstrating against a roadblock planned for the area.

Also yesterday, a small Israeli force pushed into the northern Gaza Strip, clashing with militants and bulldozing farmland, the army and residents said.

Local medics said a 17-year-old Palestinian was in serious condition after being shot in his stomach in northern Gaza. The army said it had no reports of injuries.

An army spokesman said Israeli forces conducted a routine operation against what it called terror threats in the north of the coastal enclave.

Militants in northern Gaza fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the Israelis and exchanged fire with soldiers, he said.

Tensions between the Jewish state and Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in June, have increased sharply after a makeshift rocket fired into Israel by militants wounded at least 35 Israeli Army conscripts last week.

The Israeli Army frequently carries out operations in border areas to curb rocket attacks from Gaza. Israel has opted against a major offensive in the territory, but last week's rocket attack rekindled calls for tougher action.

Militants from major groups said they were on high alert in case Israel launched a major incursion into Gaza, and are deploying hundreds of fighters near the border at night.

© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.