Israel approves prisoner release

Government officials said the 500 prisoners could go free as early as Tuesday. Another 400 are due to be released in the next few weeks under a decision announced by Sharon last week. Their names will first be published on a government Web site, giving the public an opportunity to appeal against the release of individual prisoners in a fast-track legal procedure. Freedom for 8,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails is a highly emotive issue for Palestinians, who regard them as heroes of an uprising that began more than four years ago.

An Israeli government official said of the 500 slated for release, around half belonged to Abbas’s mainstream Fatah faction and the others were members of Islamic militant groups.

But an Israeli government official said the jailed son of Marwan Barghouthi would not be released despite reports he would be freed at Abbas’s request.

In another confidence-building move, Israel plans to pull troops away from the West Bank city of Jericho this week, officials said. —Reuters