Israel finalises list of Palestinians to be freed

Jerusalem, July 17: Israel finalised a list today of 250 Palestinian prisoners to be freed later this week as part of a series of moves to bolster President Mahmoud Abbas.

About 85 percent of the Palestinian inmates belong to Abbas's Fatah faction.

The list of the prisoners is set to be posted on the Prisons Service Web site later in the day, said David Baker, an Israeli government spokesman.

The prisoner release will begin on Friday, Baker said. Publishing the list ahead of the release date is required by law to allow people enough time to raise objections.

Olmert had pledged to free the inmates in a bid to shore up Abbas's new government against Hamas Islamists who routed Abbas's forces in Gaza and took over the territory last month.

Israel has released Palestinian prisoners to bolster previous Palestinian governments as part of deals to promote peace talks.

Olmert has said he will not release those with 'blood on their hands.'

Olmert and Abbas met in Jerusalem yesterday and the Palestinian leader urged Olmert to release jailed Palestinian political leaders, including Marwan Barghouthi, an uprising leader who is seen as a possible successor to Abbas.

REUTERS

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