Israel To Release 250 Palestinian Prisoners

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TEL AVIV: The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas amid persistent violence around the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip The move followed a pledge by acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during talks on November 17 with Abbas, their first such meeting in two months. Officials were not immediately able to give a breakdown of the vote in cabinet, which was not carried unanimously. Trade and Industry Minister Eli Yishai from the ultra-Orthdox Shas party told reporters before the meeting that he would vote against the release. The names of those to be freed will now be drawn up by a special committee. Israelis will also be able to lodge objections to any candidates identified for release. A senior Israeli official has said that none of the prisoners to be freed belongs to radical Palestinian groups such as Hamas, which seized power in the Gaza Strip in June 2007.



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