Israel releases 26 Palestinian prisoners Tuesday Dec 31,2013

Israeli authorities have freed a group of 26 Palestinian prisoners on early Tuesday Dec 31,2013 as part of a US-brokered agreement to resume direct peace talks.

Two vans carrying (18) prisoners left Ofer prison and were headed to Ramallah" in the West Bank, the official said, adding that three other prisoners were being released to the Gaza Strip and five others to east Jerusalem

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greeted the prisoners at his headquarters in Ramallah and pledged to continue pressing for the release of other long-serving and sick prisoners.
"We will not sign a final peace deal with Israel before all the prisoners are released,"

Friends and family members of the 26 Palestinian prisoners celebrate their imminent release from Israeli jail in the West Bank city of Ramallah. 

 

The prisoners were greeted by cheering crowds on their return to the West Bank and Gaza.


Israel approved the releases on Saturday Dec 28,2013, but they were delayed to allow victims' families to appeal.

The prisoners committed murder or attempted murder before the 1993 Oslo accords and have served 19 to 28 years.

They make up the third tranche of a total of 104 prisoners to be freed.

Relatives of the victims of the latest prisoners being freed - 18 from the West Bank, three from Gaza and five from East Jerusalem - have staged days of protests against the releases and appealed to the Supreme Court to block them.

The Israeli Govt has stressed that if any of the prisoners "resume hostile activity" they will have to serve the remainder of their sentences.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also defended the decision to free those behind deadly attacks at a meeting of his Likud party on Monday Dec 30,2013
"Leadership is judged by the ability to implement decisions, difficult as they may be,'' he said. "We were not elected to make easy decisions."

The Palestinian Minister for Prisoner Affairs, Issa Qaraqai, dismissed the Israeli complaints, saying: "Israel is a murderous state and these prisoners are freedom fighters."

Rami Barbakh, a released Palestinian prisoner, center, is reunited with his mother as he arrives at a checkpoint at the entrance of the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013