Israel frees 398 Palestinians
Palestinian detainees dispersed Thursday at five West Bank and Gaza Strip checkpoints; meanwhile, army plans to boost its activity in West Bank in bid to prevent disruptions in the area
TEL AVIV - Israel released 398 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday as part of a series of gestures it had agreed months ago to boost Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and promote diplomacy between the two sides months ahead of its planned pullout from the Gaza Strip.
Most of the detainees had been nearing the end of their sentences and none had been found guilty of involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis.
The move comes weeks before Prime Minister Sharon and Abbas are set to meet for the second time as official leaders and ahead of an Israeli withdrawal from all 21 settlements in Gaza and four of 120 in the West Bank, slated to start in August.
Giving the "V" sign for "Victory, the first group was released at Gaza's Erez crossing, while the rest of the prisoners were set free simultaneously at four West Bank checkpoints.
Israel had originally planned to free 400 detainees but one requested to stay with his brother in jail and another asked to be allowed to remain in prison to take a matriculation exam.
Prior to the release, the army said it plans to boost its activity in West Bank in bid to prevent disruptions in the area.
Bibi slams move
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said it was important for Israel to deliver on pledges made at a summit in Egypt with Abbas in February, where the two declared a cease-fire aimed at ending more than four years of violence, even if the Palestinian leader had not yet carried out its obligations stated in a U.S.-backed peace "road map," such as reining in gunmen.
Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the prisoner release, saying the Palestinians had failed to act against terrorism and should not be rewarded.
The Palestinians were greeted by their families at West Bank checkpoints during relatively modest celebrations in contrast to past releases.
They complained of their conditions in jail and said they would rather have served the rest of their sentences in return for the release of other pisoners, especially youngsters and women. Several thousand Palestinians are still imprisoned in Israeli jails.
Palestinian Prisoner Affairs Minister Sufian Abu Zaida called the release "insufficient" and Palestinian officials said they were disappointed older or sickly prisoners were not freed as well. They also criticized that most of the detainees were from Abbas's Fatah group.
Sharon and Abbas to meet
Sharon has said talks on a final peace agreement with the Palestinians could not be renewed until Abbas dismantles armed groups. The two leaders are set to meet on June 26, where they are expected to discuss Israel's Gaza pullout.
Abbas has preferred to negotiate with the armed groups rather than confront them. Most of the terrorist factions, including Hamas, agreed in March to abide by a de facto truce.
Sharon's government approved the release of 900 prisoners prior to the summit as part of a series of gestures to boost Abbas after he was elected in January to succeed the late Yasser Arafat as chairman of the Palestinian Authority and to promote diplomacy.
Israel freed 500 Palestinians in February and has handed control of some West Bank towns to Palestinian security forces, but says it will not transfer more if Abbas does not act against terrorists.
