80 Released and 11,000 are Waiting

2 October 2007

The Zionist occupation forces released 57 prisoner in the West Bank on Monday. And 29 from the Gaza Strip a day later than planned in what is seen as an attempt to bolster the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas.

The prisoners entered Gaza through the Erez border crossing. Jubilant relatives and friends were there to greet them.

Most of the freed men were members of the Fatah faction of Mr Abbas.

None were from Hamas movement which seized control of Gaza since June 2007

They were originally due for release on Monday, along with 57 West Bankers, but were kept back because the Zionist president had not signed their pardons.

Shimon Peres signed the papers last night without explaining the delay.

Palestinian officials have welcomed the release despite the fact that the release was to get a benefit not to have a solution to the issue of Palestinian prisoners.

Some other officials rebuke such a release and said this is to destroy the issue of prisoners who have the right to live as any human in the world.

Waiting for relatives

More than 10,000 Palestinians are held in the Zionist jails, including hundreds being detained without charge.

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Ramallah notes that, according to figures from the UN, the number of detainees being released is less than the average number of Palestinians detained by Israeli forces each month.

Mr Abbas, is expected to meet the Zionist chief Olmert later this week for more preparatory talks ahead of a Middle East peace conference due to be held in the US in November.

Correspondents say "Israel" has been keen to strengthen the position of Mr Abbas and his Fatah faction since Hamas won elections last year. However , the number of the released prisoners are completely a joke to please Abbas and the Fatah faction in the West Bank city of Ramallah.