Israel to release 900 Palestinian prisoners

Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Jerusalem

The ministers also approved an earlier decision by the army chief to halt the targeted killings of wanted Palestinian fugitives and agreed to form a joint Israeli-Palestinian committee to decide what to do about them.

The 900 prisoners represent about one-eighth of the total number of prisoners Israel holds. The decision to withdraw only from quiet Jericho falls short of expectations that ministers would approve the evacuation of five West Bank towns, but followed the Israeli government’s decision this week to slow the pullout after a brief outbreak of violence.