Israel announces prisoner release

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced his intention to release 250 Fatah members from Israeli prisons in a goodwill…

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced his intention to release 250 Fatah members from Israeli prisons in a goodwill gesture aimed at strengthening Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after Hamas' victory in Gaza.

Mr Olmert made the announcement at a summit with Abbas and the leaders of Egypt and Jordan in this Red Sea resort that the Arabs and Palestinians are hoping can push forward the peace process and strengthen Abbas' hand.

"As a gesture of good will towards the Palestinians, I will bring before the Israeli Cabinet a proposal to free 250 Fatah prisoners who do not have blood on their hands, after they sign a commitment not to return to violence," Olmert said in a speech to the gathering.

The Israeli leader also promised to "improve freedom of movement of the Palestinian population in the West Bank substatinally" and reopen trade ties with the territory, saying he wanted to show the Palestinians that "choosing the path of no terror or violence the way of peace and dialogue will bring a better, more comfortable, more peaceful life."

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The bloody conflict between Abbas' Fatah movement and Hamas has effectively split the Palestinians between a Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and a West Bank, run by Western-backed Abbas' emergency government.

The Arabs and Palestinians are pressing Israel to quickly snap up the opportunity to make peace progress with Abbas to boost his legitimacy and swing Palestinians' support his way. Abbas' officials have called for a lifting of roadblocks and other heavy security measures in the West Bank that they say are suffocating the Palestinians.

Abbas, Egypt and Jordan are also hoping the Sharm el-Sheik summit can pave the way for a resumption of negotiations on the key issues of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Olmert did not promise an immediate resumption but said the steps he was taking aimed at leading to such negotiations.

"I don't intend to let this opportunity pass," he said, adding that he "told Abbas that we will work with the new government and maintain frequent meetings with it."

After televised comments by each of the four leaders, Olmert, Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II chatted in the conference hall, smiling and clapping each other on the shoulders. Egypt called the summit in a bid to boost Abbas and isolate Hamas, amid fears that its rule in Gaza could foment extremism that could spill over into Egyptian territory.

PA