Release of 26 Palestinian prisoners approved
Special ministerial committee for prisoners' release okays names of 26 Palestinian prisoners to face release. Names published on IPS website 48 hours before release date
The second stage of the Palestinian prisoners' release was approved, and the list of those up for release has been formed: Following a fiery debate in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation over the Struck Bill to block the releases, the special committee for prisoners release has confirmed the second stage in the deal which led to the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians.
The 26 prisoners to be released were jailed due to crimes performed before the Oslo Accords, and served time ranging between 19 to 28 years. 21 prisoners are from the West Bank and five are from Gaza. The list of prisoners was posted Sunday night on the Prison Service's website.
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The 26 prisoners in the following list are responsible for the deaths of 27 Israelis. Before the list was published the families of the prisoners' victims were notified of their release.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni , Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri and Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich attended the meeting and approved the list.
Second group of prisoners to be released:
1. Mohamed Ibrahim Nasr, arrested in May 1985
2. Rafi Farhoud Karajeh, arrested in May 1985
3. Mohamed Ahmed al- Sabbagh, arrested in January 1991
4. Hazem Kassem Shbair, arrested in March 1994
5. Ahmed said al-Damuni, arrested in September 1990
6. Yusef Awwad Masalha, arrested in May 1993
7. Sharif Hasan Abu Dhailah, arrested in May 1992
8. Mustafa Amer Ghnaimat, arrested in July 1985
9. Rizek Ali Salah, arrested in June 1993
10. Afu Musbah Shkair, arrested in July 1986
11. Muayad Salim Hijja, arrested in May 1992
12. Najeh Mohamed Muqbel, arrested in July 1990
13. Hilmi Hamad al-Amawi, arrested in January 1994
14. Issa Nimer Abed Rabbo, arrested in October 1984
15. Haza’a Mohamed Sa’di, arrested in July 1985
16. Najeh Mohamed Muqbel, arrested in July 1990
17. Abdel Rahman Yusef al- Haj, arrested in February 1992
18. Osama Zakariya Abu Hanani, arrested in October 1992
19. Mohamed Yusef Turkeman, arrested in October 1992
20. Ahmed Said Abdel Aziz, arrested in February 1993
21. Mohamed Musbah Ashour, arrested in February 1986
22. Omar Issa Masoud, arrested in May 1993
23. Khaled Daoud Azraq, arrested in February 1991
24. Othman Abdallah Bani Hasan, arrested in July 1985
25. Israr Mustafa Samarin, arrested in August 1992
26. Musa Izzat Kura’n, arrested in August 1992
21 from West Bank; 5 from Gaza
The list was published 48 hours before the release date, to allow Israelis to appeal the Supreme Court against the release. 21 of the Palestinians awaiting release are from the West Bank and five are from the Gaza Strip.
Earlier Sunday, the Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs has rejected a bill that attempted to block the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Five ministers, from Habayit Hayehudi and Yisrael Beiteinu, voted in favor, while eight ministers, from Yesh Atid and the Likud , opposed the bill, which was proposed by Habayit Hayehudi MK Orit Struck.
Among the bill's backers were Aharonovich and Sufa Landwer, both from Yisrael Beiteinu, who supported the previous release in the cabinet vote last July.
Commenting on their change of stance, a Likud senior member called their vote a "price tag" for Moshe Leon's failure at the Jerusalem mayoral race.
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