Palestinian prisoner release underway

The release of 224 Palestinian security prisoners from various Israeli prisons to the Palestinian Authority began Monday at noon. Most were transported by bus to the Beitunya checkpoint by Ramallah while the remaining few were on their way to Gaza. Palestinian prisoner release underway Initially, Israel was to free 227 Palestinians. However, Israeli Prison Service spokesman Yaron Zamir said only 224 were freed, and the release of three others was still under review. The prisoner release was intended to be an Israeli gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in honor of Muslim holiday Id al-Adha. Earlier, the High Court of Justice canceled the temporary injunction issued by Justice Elyakim Rubinstein late Sunday night delaying the release of the prisoners. The injunction had followed petitions charging that some of the prisoners had "blood on their hands." The state responded Monday morning to the petitions, claiming that a check of the prisoners to be released proved that none of them were convicted of harming Israelis. Of the 227 terrorists, 143 were charged with attempted murder, and almost all were arrested after 2006, the Almagor terror victims association said Sunday. The organization petitioned the High Court on the same day the state announced its intention to release the prisoners as a gesture to the Palestinian Authority for Id al-Adha. Originally the prisoners were due to have been freed December 9. A second petition was filed by the Legal Center to Investigate Terrorism, and Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council. The petitioners charged that some of the prisoners had "blood on their hands" and had been accused of crimes including shooting at soldiers and civilians and planting bombs. Almagor made a study of each of the prisoners due to go free on Monday. It claimed it had found that one of the prisoners, Muhammad Ali, had been sentenced to four years in prison for involvement in several instances of terrorist activity between 2002 and 2005, including belonging to a terrorist organization and opening fire at soldiers. Muntasar Jadalla was put on trial in 2007 for throwing Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles on Highway 443. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. Meir Indor, the head of Almagor, told The Jerusalem Post that an army lawyer had confirmed that Palestinians accused of serious crimes were receiving substantially shorter sentences than they had received in the past. The reason, Indor said he had been told, was that there was not enough room in prisons to keep most prisoners for long periods.

Palestinian prisoner release underway

Initially, Israel was to free 227 Palestinians. However, Israeli Prison Service spokesman Yaron Zamir said only 224 were freed, and the release of three others was still under review.

The prisoner release was intended to be an Israeli gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in honor of Muslim holiday Id al-Adha.

Earlier, the High Court of Justice canceled the temporary injunction issued by Justice Elyakim Rubinstein late Sunday night delaying the release of the prisoners.

The injunction had followed petitions charging that some of the prisoners had "blood on their hands."

The state responded Monday morning to the petitions, claiming that a check of the prisoners to be released proved that none of them were convicted of harming Israelis.

Of the 227 terrorists, 143 were charged with attempted murder, and almost all were arrested after 2006, the Almagor terror victims association said Sunday.

The organization petitioned the High Court on the same day the state announced its intention to release the prisoners as a gesture to the Palestinian Authority for Id al-Adha. Originally the prisoners were due to have been freed December 9.

A second petition was filed by the Legal Center to Investigate Terrorism, and Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council. The petitioners charged that some of the prisoners had "blood on their hands" and had been accused of crimes including shooting at soldiers and civilians and planting bombs.

Almagor made a study of each of the prisoners due to go free on Monday. It claimed it had found that one of the prisoners, Muhammad Ali, had been sentenced to four years in prison for involvement in several instances of terrorist activity between 2002 and 2005, including belonging to a terrorist organization and opening fire at soldiers.

Muntasar Jadalla was put on trial in 2007 for throwing Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles on Highway 443. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

Meir Indor, the head of Almagor, told The Jerusalem Post that an army lawyer had confirmed that Palestinians accused of serious crimes were receiving substantially shorter sentences than they had received in the past. The reason, Indor said he had been told, was that there was not enough room in prisons to keep most prisoners for long periods.