Israel’s “goodwill gesture” disappoints
Israel freed 339 Palestinian “security prisoners” yesterday in a bid to boost the flagging US-backed “road map” for peace in the Middle East.
But the Palestinian leadership rejected the “goodwill gesture” as inadequate, slamming it as a mere “theatrical step to appease Washington.”
Earlier this month, Israel had hinted at the release 540 prisoners.
Yesterday’s move takes the total number of released prisoners in recent months to 600.
Some militant Palestinians groups, such as Hamas, had demanded, as a precondition for abiding with the three-month ceasefire, which took effect from June 29, the liberation of 6,000 comrades held in Israel’s jails.
Leader of the Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat described the release as a “deception”, as many of the prisoners were due for release by the end of the month in any event.
His spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeineh said Wednesday that Israel “should release all the prisoners.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas was due to meet his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon but declined discussions as Israel had not offered significant concessions.
Israel was careful not to release any prisoner with “blood on his hands,” that is to say Palestinians found to have direct links with terrorism.
Many of the prisoners had been held without trial, detained for minor offences, such as throwing stones at tanks, entering Israel illegally or having membership of a banned organization.
Israel, for its part, insisted prisoners sign a document stating that they would “refrain from hostile activity.”
