Israel lists Palestinians to be released from prison

Israeli Cabinet ministers today approved a list of 256 Palestinian prisoners due to be released this week in a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, officials said.

David Baker, an official in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office, said the ministerial committee approved the release 7-2. He said the names of the prisoners would be published later today, giving Israelis 48 hours to file legal challenges. But the prisoners are all expected to be freed on Friday, Mr Baker said.

The decision is meant to be a “goodwill gesture” to Mr Abbas, Mr Olmert’s office said. Regarding the prisoners, the statement said “there is no blood on their hands,” meaning none have been directly involved in deadly attacks on Israelis.

Six of the prisoners are women, the office said.

The Palestinian minister for prisoner affairs, Ashraf al-Ajrami, said the release was not enough.

“Israel insists on releasing those who have limited sentences,” al-Ajrami said. “We want a release of prisoners who received long sentences.”

After a meeting between Mr Abbas and Mr Olmert yesterday, Israeli officials said all prisoners set to be released had at least one year remaining on their sentences.

Israel has been trying to strengthen Mr Abbas since the Islamic Hamas group routed forces from his Fatah movement and took over the Gaza Strip last month. Mr Abbas has since fired the Hamas members of a unity government and formed an emergency Cabinet that rules over the West Bank.

Of those to be released, 85 percent belong to Fatah, and 15 percent to smaller groups, Israeli officials said. None are Hamas members, they said.

About 10,500 Palestinian prisoners are held in Israeli jails.