Abbas to push Sharon for large-scale prisoner releases

SAID BILAL has four sons in Israeli jails, two of them serving life terms, and is anxiously awaiting word from yesterday’s summit on the fate of Palestinian prisoners.

A large-scale release of prisoners Israel holds about 8,000 could boost Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas's popularity and help him rein in militant groups, something Israel has long demanded.

However, freeing men involved in bloody attacks may be too bitter a pill for Israel to swallow and is seen as political folly for a government already under siege from hard-line opponents.

So far, Israel has only agreed to release 900 Palestinians, none involved in violence, and to consider freeing a few with "blood on their hands", as those involved in attacks are often described in Israel. Mr Abbas is demanding much more. He is focusing on 380 Palestinians, many of them convicted of killings and jailed before the 1993 interim peace accords.

He is expected to press their case at the summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik. Mr Abbas's failure to secure large-scale prisoner releases was seen as one of the reasons for his decision to step down as prime minister in 2003 after four months in office.

The fate of the prisoners strikes an emotional chord.

Thousands of Palestinians have spent time in Israeli detention on security-related charges since Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in 1967, meaning almost every Palestinian family has had members in prison. The number of prisoners grew considerably in the past four years of fighting, with Israeli troops rounding up thousands, either in targeted raids or in sweeps of entire neighbourhoods.

One of the most prominent Palestinians in custody is Marwan Barghouti, a leader of the uprising and a potential future president.

"The release of the prisoners is the top priority for all the Palestinians," said Hisham Abdel Razek, the Palestinian minister for prisoner affairs.

Palestinian armed groups have told Mr Abbas a release of prisoners is a condition for halting attacks on Israel, though they stopped short of saying they want all inmates freed before they will accept a truce.

"There is no such thing as a free ceasefire," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.

The Palestinians say the prisoners should be released just as two countries would exchange prisoners at the end of a war.

However, Israel is determined to keep Palestinians who participated in attacks locked up.