RAMALLAH, Dec. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- A senior Palestinian official Sunday called for an unconditioned release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, top aide of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, made the call while reacting to the Israeli goodwill intention to release 100-200 Palestinian prisoners.

    Abu Rudeineh told the press that the Israeli intention is not an enough step and all prisoners should be freed without conditions.Releasing prisoners unconditionally would create a appropriate atmosphere for the Palestinian elections in order to launch afterwards a resumption of the stalled peace process, he added.

    The Palestinian official noted that the decision to release a number of prisoners is an Israeli unilateral action, which would be carried out without any coordination with the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

    Israel announced earlier that it will begin the process of releasing 100 to 200 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday as part of a prisoner swap, during which a convicted Israeli spy was released from an Egyptian prison last week.

    The prisoner release is to take place next week after the completion of all necessary bureaucratic preparations.
Government officials said Saturday that the criteria for releasing Palestinian prisoners will be based on cabinet decisions made in July 2003. Enditem