Israel planning to release 400 Palestinian detainees
JERUSALEM – Israel’s Cabinet decided Sunday to free 400 Palestinian prisoners, but the overdue gesture – part of a February truce – disappointed Palestinians who said Israel broke a promise to coordinate the release with them.
Hours after the decision, the Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike on Palestinian rocket launchers as they prepared to fire in northern Gaza, in a rare attack since a February truce. Hospital officials said a man and two women were wounded by shrapnel in the attack early today. The violent Islamic Jihad said one of its cells, which minutes earlier fired three rockets at an Israeli village just outside Gaza, was the target of the airstrike.
An Israeli missile strike during a flare-up of mortar and rocket fire 10 days ago in southern Gaza seemed to spur the militants on to more violence, the longest flare-up since the truce.
In violence on Sunday, three Palestinians were killed in two Gaza blasts – one while firing at Israelis and two by explosives they were handling.
The truce emerged from a Feb. 8 summit in Egypt with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The package included an end to violence, handover of five West Bank towns to Palestinian control and release of 900 prisoners.
Israel freed 500 prisoners and handed over two towns but stopped the process at that point, charging the Palestinians had failed to carry out their pledge to disarm the militants in the towns under their control. Also, Israel complained, Palestinian militants still attempt many attacks that are foiled by Israeli security. Israel’s government demanded the Palestinians fulfill their obligations to Israel’s satisfaction before any further steps. Palestinians countered that Israel was violating the truce and endangering the cease-fire.
The turnaround came Sunday, when Sharon told his Cabinet that Israel must release the remaining 400 prisoners “as part of Israel’s effort to help Abu Mazen (Abbas) and the moderate Palestinian forces.”
Three ministers voted against the release, insisting that all violence must stop first, but 18 were in favor.
A ministerial panel will compile a list of those eligible to be freed. No one directly involved in deadly attacks on Israelis would be released, but Israel might be more flexible than in the past and free prisoners who have not completed two-thirds of their terms, a government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of his position.
A Justice Ministry spokesman said the release may come Thursday. Palestinians criticized the decision, saying Israel broke its agreement to consult them on which prisoners to free.
The Palestinians demanded the release of 360 prisoners who have been in jail for more than a decade, but Israel refused to release prisoners involved in violence, said a member of a Palestinian committee that was to have negotiated the release.