Gov't committee approves release of 26 Palestinian prisoners

Special ministerial committee for prisoners' release okays names of 26 Palestinian prisoners to face release

Attila Somfalvi

Published:  10.27.13, 19:53 / Israel News

 
The second stage of the Palestinian prisoners' release was approved, and the list of those up for release has been formed: Following a fiery debate in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation over the Struck Bill to block the releases, the special committee for prisoners release has confirmed the second stage in the deal which led to the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians.


The 26 prisoners to be released were jailed due to crimes performed before the Oslo Accords , and served time ranging between 19 to 28 years. 21 prisoners are from the West Bank and five are from Gaza. The list of prisoners will be posted Sunday night on the Prison Service's website, after the bereaved families will be informed.
   Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni , Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri and Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich attended the meeting and approved the list.

Earlier Sunday, the Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs has rejected a bill that attempted to block the release of Palestinian prisoners.
  Five ministers, from Habayit Hayehudi and Yisrael Beiteinu , voted in favor, while eight ministers, from Yesh Atid and the Likud , opposed the bill, which was proposed by Habayit Hayehudi MK Orit Struck.
 

Among the bill's backers were Aharonovich and Sufa Landwer, both from Yisrael Beiteinu, who supported the previous release in the cabinet vote last July.

Commenting on their change of stance, a Likud senior member called their vote a "price tag" for Moshe Leon's failure at the Jerusalem mayoral race.