Israel to release 200 Palestinians

Ramallah - Israel will free a first group of 200 Palestinian security prisoners from its jails as early as this week under its…

Ramallah - Israel will free a first group of 200 Palestinian security prisoners from its jails as early as this week under its new peace deal with the PLO, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said yesterday.

"The first group of prisoners will be released on Thursday or Friday," Mr Erekat told a news conference in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

"Those who are released will include people who have served more than two-thirds of their sentences," he said, adding that many had been sentenced to life in jail by Israeli courts for involvement in guerrilla attacks.

They would include prisoners who had killed Palestinian collaborators with Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank and Gaza and who had wounded Israelis, Mr Erekat said. Israel has insisted that it would not free Palestinians who had killed Israelis.