Olmert releases Fatah prisoners to boost Abbas
By Eric Silver in Jerusalem
Published: 09 July 2007
The Israeli cabinet has agreed to release 250 Palestinian security prisoners as a gesture to President Mahmoud Abbas and his new West Bank government, which was established last month in competition with the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials predicted that the prisoners, all affiliated to Mr Abbas's Fatah faction, could be sent home by the end of this week.
Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, said: "We want to make use of all means to strengthen moderate forces within the Palestinian Authority... to encourage them to follow the path that... can create conditions for real talks."
Israel has already handed over millions of dollars in blocked tax revenues, which enabled Mr Abbas to pay civil servants their full salaries for the first time since Hamas won a parliamentary election in January 2006. It is also working with international relief organisations to enable food and medicines to enter the Gaza Strip, though the economy there remains under siege.
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