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Israel releases 198 Palestinian prisoners

DUBAI: Israel has released 198 Palestinian prisoners in a move aimed at boosting the popularity of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The prisoners have been released in the West Bank, the stronghold of Mr. Abbas’ Fatah faction. The Israeli Cabinet earlier decided not to free a political prisoner who belonged to Gaza, where Fatah’s rival, Hamas is popular.

Those released include two high profile prisoners who had been convicted of murdering Israelis. These are Said al-Attaba, who was jailed for killing an Israeli woman and Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Ali, who was also serving a life sentence for killing an Israeli reservist.

Analysts say the release of the two is significant as it marks a departure from Israel’s stated policy of not freeing individuals who have Israeli “blood on their hands.”

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, hundreds of Palestinians were present to greet the freed prisoners. They stood under a giant poster, bearing pictures of Mr. Abbas, Mr. Attaba and Mr. Mohammed Abu Ali.

Amid joyous scenes of jubilation, Mr. Abbas addressed crowds at his Muqata presidential headquarters. “There is no doubt that we seek peace and we are trying to seek our goals - and there won’t be peace without the release of all prisoners,” he said. Mr. Abbas specifically called for the release of Marwan Barghouti, widely seen as a future President and jailed radical leader, Ahmed Saadat of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

In Gaza, Hamas said that the prisoners’ release was part of an Israeli attempt to deepen divisions within Palestinian ranks. “This is an attempt to boost the interior Palestinian split by supporting one party against the other,” said a Hamas statement on Sunday.

Referring to Mr. Abbas, the statement observed that the Israeli gesture was “an attempt to give an impression that the chairman of the [Palestinian] Authority could achieve something via the settlement negotiations with the [Israeli] occupation ... and no one believes this.”

The prisoners have been released ahead of the visit to the region by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has been pushing for a peace deal involving Mr. Abbas and the Israelis as lead players.

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