Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    RAMALLAH, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Minister of prisoners' affairs in the caretaker government headed by Salam Fayyad said Saturday that Israel will release 150 prisoners from its prisons on Aug. 25.

    Ashraf el-Ajrami told reporters that his ministry holds intensive contacts to prepare the list of names of prisoners Israel wants to release as a goodwill gesture to President Mahmoud Abbas.

Released Palestinian prisoners gesture as they wait to cross a crossing between Israel and the occupied West Bank outside the West Bank town of Tulkarm Aug. 6, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Abbas held talks on Wednesday in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. According to Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who attended the meeting, Olmert and Abbas agreed on releasing 150 prisoners.

    "The Palestinian Authority is interested in releasing the biggest number of prisoners regardless of their political affiliations," said el-Ajrami, who stressed that no peace deal would be reached with Israel without freeing the prisoners.

    The PA wants Israel to include jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, chief of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Ahmed Sa'adat and speaker of the Hamas-dominant parliament (PLC) Aziz Dweik.

    El-Ajrami said the issue of freeing Marwan Barghouti and others is still under discussions between the two sides. However, Israel is still refusing to release Barghouti, Sa'adat and Dweik.

    An Israeli ministerial committee is scheduled to convene within the coming days to study the list of names presented by the Palestinian Authority and to decide the criteria of the prisoners who will be released.

Israel's prisoners release leaves many question marks

    JERUSALEM, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel Wednesday agreed to release a number of Palestinian prisoners by the end of August, leaving many wondering about the motives of outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert grilled over corruption scandals.   Full story

Palestinian official: no final peace deal without prisoners' release

    RAMALLAH, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Minister of prisoners' affairs in the caretaker Palestinian government Ashraf el-Ajrami stressed on Thursday that a final peace agreement can't be reached before closing the file of prisoners.

    "The issue of prisoners held in Israeli jails is a political issue which is no less important than other permanent status issues. It can only be resolved by setting up a timetable for the release of all the prisoners," el-Ajrami said.  Full story

Erekat: Olmert agrees to release 150 Palestinian prisoners

    RAMALLAH, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Wednesday Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised in the face of President Mahmoud Abbas to free 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

    Olmert told Abbas that Israel would free 150 prisoners behind bars in Israeli jails as a "good-will gesture to President Abbas," Erekat told reporters following a meeting between Abbas and Olmertin Jerusalem.  Full story