Israel ready to free 500 prisoners in gesture to Palestinians

ISRAEL’S cabinet yesterday approved the release of 500 Palestinian prisoners in what the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, called a goodwill gesture to bolster new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and build mutual trust.

Mr Sharon told the cabinet the release had been a difficult step to agree to, but that it could help build confidence between the sides and strengthen Mr Abbas’s administration.

The step is one of several Israeli gestures to Mr Abbas. Israel will also allow several dozen Palestinian militants who had been expelled from the West Bank to return to their homes and gradually hand five West Bank towns to Palestinian control.

A list of the prisoners to be released - constituting only a small fraction of the estimated 8,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails - was to be published on an Israeli government website. Opponents had 48 hours to lodge objections with the supreme court, Israeli officials said.

But Palestinians are demanding that all be freed, while Israeli officials insist that, with few exceptions, prisoners with "blood on their hands" cannot be considered.

Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian cabinet minister, criticised Israel for carrying out the release without talking to the Palestinians. "We urge the Israeli government that the next release will be done in total agreement between the two sides and through the ministerial joint committee that will be meeting tomorrow," he said.

In line with the agreements reached at last week’s Middle East summit in Egypt, Israel is to release an additional 400 Palestinian prisoners within three months.

The criteria for these releases - including the issue of whether those involved in attacks against Israelis can be included - is expected to be considered by a joint Israeli-Palestinian committee, set up at the summit.

Meanwhile, in a separate move yesterday, Mr Sharon instructed Israel’s law enforcement agencies to act against Jewish extremists who oppose his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, amid increasing concern about security surrounding cabinet ministers.

Several have been threatened or have come under attack in recent days, part of the charged political climate over Mr Sharon’s plan to pull out of Gaza and four West Bank settlements this summer.

Raanan Gissin, a top aide to Mr Sharon, said law enforcement agencies would show "zero tolerance" for Jewish extremists, after a cabinet minister received death threats against his children, and a second top official had the tyres of his cars slashed.

Attempts to assassinate Mr Sharon are increasingly likely as the withdrawal nears and opponents of the plan become desperate, Israeli military commentator Alex Fishman wrote yesterday in the Yediot Ahronot daily, raising the possibility that a Jewish suicide bomber would blow himself up to break through Mr Sharon’s tight cordon of bodyguards.