Previous prisoners' release
Photo: AP
Rice and Olmert
Photo: Moshe Millner, GPO
Israel to consider release of more Palestinian prisoners
Officials in PM's office say Olmert not ruling out possibility of releasing more security prisoners to strengthen Abbas ahead of Annapolis summit. Removal of IDF roadblocks in West Bank will also be weighed, they say
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not rule out the release of additional security prisoners as a gesture to the Palestinian Authority ahead of the upcoming Annapolis peace conference, sources in his office said Monday.
According to them, other gestures, such as removing roadblocks in the West Bank and expediting the deployment of Palestinian security officers in the region's cities, would also be weighed.
Optimism
Roni Sofer
Prime minister says Annapolis peace conference will serve as starting point for negotiations with Palestinians that may bring concrete results before President Bush's term in office ends
Six months ago, during the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, Olmert pledged to remove the military roadblocks in the West Bank, which prevent the free movement of Palestinians. However, the security establishment has objected to such a move for fear of increased terror activity in the area.
'No specific names were mentioned'
During US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent visit to the Middle East, the PA issued a request for another prisoners' release and other gestures in an attempt to embolden President Mahmoud Abbas' position.
"The prime minister has said in the past that he does not oppose the release of Palestinian prisoners," a senior official in Olmert's office told Ynet, "however, the amount of prisoners has not been discussed yet, and it will certainly not run in the hundreds.
"Also, no one has spoken yet of the criteria for their release. We received word of the PA's request yesterday, but no specific names were mentioned. It will be considered,' he said.
Rice, who was scheduled to meet Abbas in Ramallah Monday morning, has yet to set a date for the Annapolis summit. It is estimated that following the secretary of state's current round of talks the sides will begin forming the final draft of the declaration of principles that will be presented at the peace conference. Negotiations on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state are expected to commence shortly thereafter.
