Israel may release Palestinian prisoners

JERUSALEM—Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted Sunday that he might release some Palestinian prisoners in coming days, telling his Cabinet “the time has come to show flexibility and generosity,” associates said.
Olmert had previously said he would not consider releasing prisoners until Hamas-linked militants freed Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who was captured in a cross-border raid from Gaza in June. A change in Israeli policy would give Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a major boost in his standoff with Hamas, which controls the Palestinian Cabinet and parliament.
Olmert met with Abbas on Saturday night and made a series of gestures to the moderate Palestinian leader, offering to lift some West Bank checkpoints and give him millions of dollars in frozen funds. However, he ruled out Abbas’ request for a release of some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
On Sunday, Olmert told his Cabinet it needed to reconsider its attitude toward releasing some of the estimated 8,000 Palestinians in custody. “The time has come to show flexibility and generosity regarding prisoners,” he said, according to a participant in the meeting. Olmert indicated some prisoners could be freed by the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which starts in about a week, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing closed-door government deliberations.
By softening his position, Olmert appears to be trying to bolster Abbas’ argument to the Palestinian people that only talks with Israel will bring them an independent state. Hamas, which calls for the destruction of Israel, advocates using force to gain independence.
But Olmert could face opposition within his government for moves that could be seen as a yielding to Hamas. As Olmert worked to ease tensions, some ministers were demanding a military operation to end the ongoing Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. Gaza militants have fired more than 50 homemade rockets into Israel — including three Sunday — since a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians went into effect there Nov. 26. “We have to weigh a broad, clear operation in order to stop the Qassam (rockets),” Minister Shaul Mofaz, a former army chief, told the Cabinet.
Such an operation would almost certainly end the cease-fire. Israel has not yet reacted to the rocket fire, but during their meeting late Saturday, Olmert told Abbas that his patience was wearing thin. Further testing the truce, Palestinian gunmen shot an Israeli vehicle in the West Bank late Sunday, moderately wounding one Israeli, the army said.
As part of his overtures to Abbas, Olmert promised to ease West Bank restrictions and agreed to release $100 million in frozen funds to Abbas to help ease the Palestinian financial crisis caused by an international aid boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian Cabinet. Hamas, listed as a terror group by Israel, the U.S. and the EU, has refused international demands to recognize Israel and renounce violence. Abbas is from the more moderate Fatah movement. “We decided to offer aid to the (Palestinian) civilians who suffer from the failed behavior of their government, which is not a part of the international community,” Olmert told the Cabinet, which approved the transfer of money.
The money, Olmert said, would be transferred in a system that would ensure none of it would reach Hamas. The money would go to alleviate a list of needs the Palestinians will submit, he said. Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh told The Associated Press that the Saturday meeting established the groundwork for a series of future gatherings between the two leaders. Olmert has made a recent push to restart peace efforts in a move to revitalize his government, which lost popularity in the wake of the summer war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.—Agencies