Blow to ceasefire as Israel reneges on prisoner deal

ISRAEL has halted the release of Palestinian prisoners, demanding that the Palestinian Authority crack down on militants before anyone else is freed, in a blow to a ceasefire that has drastically reduced bloodshed.

The decision followed a declaration last week that Israel would not hand over three more West Bank towns to Palestinian control for a similar reason a claim that Palestinians had not moved against militants in the two towns they took over patrolling since the February 8 truce. Palestinians accused Israel of stalling.

Israeli and Palestinian officials met to discuss the prisoner issue, but the meeting ended in disagreement. Palestinians accused Israel of breaking the terms of the truce, endangering its continuation and weakening the new Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas.