Israel releases 500 Palestinian prisoners
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 2/22/2005

Israel has released 500 Palestinian prisoners. This was in the course of what Tel Aviv describes as positive inclinations and confidence building measures with the Palestinian authority.

The prisoners were handed over to representatives for the Palestinian authorities after they were transported in buses from Ktseiout detention center in Negev desert to five barriers on the borders if the west bank and Gaza. Those are the first shift out of 900 prisoners with the remaining other of them will be released within the few coming weeks, most of them spent two thirds of their penalty or were not tried. The list did not include any person convicted in attacks in which Israelis were killed.

Worthy mentioning that half of the released Palestinian are from the Fatah movement and the other half from Islamic movements. The Palestinians want the release to include in the future persons accused of killing Israelis and convicted in longer imprisonment terms especially detainees from before the Oslo agreements.

The release operation of the Palestinian prisoners was preceded by permitting 16 Palestinian evacuees to return back home into the West Bank coming from Gaza. They were received by Mahmoud Abbas in Ramullah.

Previous Stories:
  The return of Palestinian evacuees   (2/21/2005)
  Sharon's government approves officially the withdrawal plan from Gaza   (2/21/2005)
  Decision to halt punitive house demolitions of Palestinians a tactical matter   (2/18/2005)

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