BEITUNIYA CHECKPOINT, West Bank, Oct. 1, 2007
Israel Frees 57 Palestinian Prisoners
Move Meant To Boost Abbas Ahead Of Peace Talks; Planned West Bank Cop Shop Raising Ire
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A Palestinian prisoner, second from right, is surrounded by Israeli police as he is processed pending his release from Ketziot prison camp in southern Israel's Negev desert, Monday, Oct. 1, 2007. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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The prisoners arrived at Beitunia, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, after a two-hour journey from the Ketziot prison in southern Israel. The prisoners got off Israeli buses and kissed the ground before boarding a Palestinian bus. An ecstatic crowd of waiting relatives clapped and waved Palestinian flags.
The release of 30 other Palestinian prisoners in the Gaza Strip was delayed until Tuesday morning. Officials gave no explanation for the delay.
But as the West Bank prisoners headed home, Israel said it was moving forward with plans to open a new West Bank police headquarters, despite U.S. concerns that development in the area harms prospects for establishing a viable Palestinian state. The Palestinians accused Israel of undermining new peace efforts.
Israel was freeing a total of 87 prisoners.
Most of the prisoners are from the West Bank, which is controlled by Abbas and his government of moderates. The others are residents of Gaza, which has been ruled by Hamas since June, when they defeated the forces of Abbas' Fatah movement and took control of the coastal territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced the prisoner release - the second since July - last month as part of his strategy to support Abbas in his power struggle with Hamas. The prisoners are mostly members of Fatah, along with several who belong to smaller Palestinian factions. None belong to Hamas.
Israel is holding around 11,000 Palestinian prisoners, and their release is a central Palestinian demand. While many of those released Monday were serving time for militant activity, none was convicted in attacks on Israelis.
There is dissatisfaction on both sides, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger. Many Israelis say it's a reward for terrorism, while Palestinian officials say it is not enough. They want all 11,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails to be freed.
In Gaza City, a group of Palestinians with relatives in Israeli prisons gathered at the Red Cross offices, holding photographs of their imprisoned loved one.
One mother, Fatima Kaisi, said her 24-year-old son Mohammed is serving a 250-year sentence for his involvement in the radical militant group Islamic Jihad.
"I'm happy for the mothers who are getting their sons back today, but the leaders have to know that there are hundreds of mothers and families still waiting to meet with their loved ones," Kaisi said.
In other developments:
"People are very upset that the proposed peace that was supposed to come after disengagement has not come," Meidad said. The government has warned the settlers that if they do not leave voluntarily, they will be removed by force.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- I dont know of any other war where one side is forced to release prisoners who have tried to kill them before the war is finished..
Imagine if this was Britain or America, I bet that they would not release prisoners during war time, we kept them in camps until the war was over for our own protection.. OUR PROTECTION... - Reply to this comment
- Wow, 87 released prisoners where some will come back as suicide bombers just like other times that Israel has released prisoners...
Why don''t we ever hear of Palestine releasing Israel prisoners also, or isn''t there any??? doesn''t Israel have terrorists who kill Palestine babies, children, women and men like the Muslim terrorists do in Israel, or are all the Israelites slaughtered as soon as they are caught..Oh I forgot Palestine has to kidnap Israelies to get their prisoners..yet, it appears that there are 1100 Palestine prisoners in Israel, (and notice that they are all alive still) now, where did they come from and what was their crimes, we can guarantee that most of them will be Palestine''s who were caught trying to kill Israelies.. - Reply to this comment
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- Jews Killing Jews,,,
Zionism & probolms in the Middle East, it''''s a side of the story that''''s been kept out of everyones view.
... It''''s a long read, but well worth it... It includes how European Jews waged biological attacks on Palestenians --- And how European Jews killed other indigenous Jews in the Middle East.
http://www.inminds.com/jews-of-iraq.html - Reply to this comment
- Prinzowhales,,, Thanks for the article on the Jews of Iraq, it was excellent & explains a lot -- It''s the other side of the story & makees more since than the one we have learned over the decades
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- Prinzowhales: Tell me, if Olmert gives a dollar to the Salvation Army, will CBS talk about his nobility and generosity?
Not for longer than two weeks, promise! - Reply to this comment
- Less than a week''s ''catch'' has been released of all the thousands imprisoned....Tell me, if Olmert gives a dollar to the Salvation Army, will CBS talk about his nobility and generosity?
- Reply to this comment
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