Israel is ready to free Palestinian prisoners convicted of attacks against Israelis. (Photo: Xinhua/AFP)

(Photo: Xinhua/AFP)

    BEIJING, Feb. 11 -- Israel is ready to free Palestinian prisoners convicted of attacks against Israelis.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz that he promised Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas the release of Palestinian militants at the Mideast summit in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt if Palestinian militants stop attacks during Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

    In another development, Palestinian militants have fired more than a dozen mortar bombs at Jewish settlements in southern Gaza Strip. The number of casualties was not reported.

    Israel condemned the attack, saying it was in defiance of a new Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire agreement reached in Sharm el-Sheikh summit.

    (Source: CRIENGLISH)