Israel Frees Palestinian Prisoners

Israel Friday freed 255 Palestinian prisoners, most of them members of the Fatah Party or its armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.

The release was part of a plan to strengthen Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who controls the West Bank, The Washington Post reported. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has also sent Abbas some of the tax revenue that has been withheld since Hamas gained a parliamentary majority, and granted a temporary amnesty to wanted Fatah members.

Abbas said some Hamas prisoners were among those released, but Hamas leaders and Olmert denied this.

While Israel and the United States plan to try to convince Palestinians their future lies with Abbas, the strategy could backfire, the newspaper said. Hamas’ victory in 2005 followed the release of 898 prisoners after Abbas got most parties to agree to a cease-fire.

We hope that what happened in Gaza happens here in the West Bank, said Mahmoud Daraghmeh, a vegetable-seller whose sister was released Friday. We want Fatah gone altogether. With Fatah, it’s all lies.