Israel frees prisoners as Powell visits

Israel released 61 Palestinian detainees today in what it called a “confidence-building measure” as US Secretary of State Colin Powell encouraged leaders on both sides to move forward on a new blueprint for Mideast peace.

The head of a Palestinian prisoners’ support group said the detainees were actually already due to be freed within the next two weeks – some as soon as Monday – and criticised the action as a cosmetic move designed to convince Powell that Israel was making concessions.

“It’s throwing dust in his eyes,” Palestinian Prisoners’ Club leader Issa Karakea said.

The Israeli military confirmed in a statement that it had released 61 detainees from the Ketziot military prison camp in Israel’s southern Negev Desert on Sunday and would release 100 more prisoners in the coming weeks.

The army confirmed that all of the prisoners to be released were nearing the end of their terms.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said that a total of 200 prisoners – 154 of whom had been held in army lockups – would be released.

The army said the prisoners were either being held without charges, in so-called administrative detention, or had been arrested for being in Israel illegally. None had been involved in terror attacks, the army said.

A total of 5,272 prisoners are currently in custody, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. The vast majority of the detainees have been rounded up since the Israeli military reoccupied Palestinian cities and towns in the West Bank starting in March 2002.

Jamil Qawasmeh, 32, held for 10 months on charges that he was a member of the militant Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, was released five days before his term ended and dropped off along with other prisoners at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Hebron on Sunday.

As Qawasmeh reached his house, he was enveloped by the hugs and kisses of his wife, children and dozens of jubilant friends and neighbours.

“I am happy to be out, but I am sad because there are other people that should be released, not me,” he said. ”I would be out in a week anyway. This is just propaganda by (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon to say that he is complying with the agreements.”

Powell met Sharon and later Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, and urged both sides to take concrete steps to move forward with the peace plan.

Powell said the United States expected “rapid and decisive actions by the Palestinians” to dismantle terror groups and that he had discussed “a number of specific actions” Israel also could take to move the process forward.

Among those actions would be Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners.