Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday he will free 250 Fatah members from Israeli prisons in a goodwill gesture aimed at strengthening Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after Hamas' win in Gaza Strip.
According to the AP, Olmert stated the prisoner release at a summit with Abbas and the leaders of Egypt and Jordan that the Arabs and Palestinians are hoping can push forward the peace process and boost Abbas. "As a gesture of good will towards the Palestinians, I will bring before the Israeli Cabinet a proposal to free 250 Fatah prisoners who do not have blood on their hands, after they sign a commitment not to return to violence," Olmert told the gathering.
In his speech, Olmert also vowed to "improve freedom of movement of the Palestinian population in the West Bank substatinally" and reopen trade ties with the territory, noting he wanted to show the Palestinians that "choosing the path of no terror or violence the way of peace and dialogue will bring a better, more comfortable, more peaceful life."
Olmertsaid the steps he was taking aimed at leading to peace negotiations. "I don't intend to let this opportunity pass," he said, adding that he "told Abbas that we will work with the new government and maintain frequent meetings with it."
Meanwhile, Jordan's King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak reiterated their common concern to exert every possible effort to push the peace process forward and assist Palestinians and Israelis to go ahead and realize tangible progress in peace making.
The two leaders underlined the need to "preserve unity of the Palestinian rank at this critical phase to enable the Palestinian people regain their legitimate national rights." They made their remarks at a bilateral meeting prior to the summit.
