Mahmoud Abbas
Photo: AP
PA to provide housing for prisoners released in Shalit deal
Palestinian President Abbas tries to outdo Hamas, says Ramallah will take care of all of the newly-released Palestinian prisoners' needs
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced Saturday that the Palestinian Authority will provide the prisoners released as part of the Shalit exchange with housing.
Abbas hosted some of the released prisoners in his Mukataa office, in Ramallah.
Israel released 477 prisoners in October, as part of the swap then ended Gilad Shalit's Hamas captivity. The deal calls for the release of an additional 500 Palestinian prisoners.
Vying for political gain? Abbas' support rally (Photo: Elior Levy)
Abbas is trying to regain his footing in the Palestinian public's eye: While the PA's UN bid for membership has boosted his political stand its future is still unsure. The results of Hamas' efforts to release Palestinian prisoners held in Israel however, are much more tangible.
Abbas said that he expected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to live up to the former government's obligation and release even more prisoners.
Netanyahu, the Palestinian president stressed, must live up to former PM Ehud Olmert's promises: "(Olmert) said more prisoners would be released after Shalit was freed. We didn't get anything in writing but if Netanyahu doesn’t believe us, he can just ask Olmert," Abbas said.
