Israeli ministers approves list of 26 Palestinian prisoners to be released

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Israeli ministers approves list of 26 Palestinian prisoners to be released

(Xinhua) 08:15, October 28, 2013

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JERUSALEM, Oct. 27 -- An Israeli ministerial committee approved on Sunday a list of 26 Palestinian prisoners to be released on Tuesday amid the renewal of the peace talks between the two sides.

Among the 26 prisoners, the second group of prisoners to be released out of 104 in total, 21 are from the West Bank and the other five are from the Gaza Strip.

The bereaved families, whose loved ones were killed by these militants, will have 48 hours after the list gets published on Sunday night to appeal their release but have little chance of averting the decision.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not make any specific comments regarding the prisoners' release on Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting.

However, he said that as the Israeli cabinet committed itself to the move, it is important to follow it through.

"Promises must be kept," Netanyahu said, adding that "we have to honor government decisions, even if it is difficult and unpleasant, we can't constantly change our stance," according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office.

Netanyahu's comments were made amid mounting tensions regarding the negotiations in general and the prisoners' release in specific, between Israel's hawkish and dovish politicians.

Members of the nationalistic Jewish Home party opposes the upcoming release and accuses dovish chief negotiator and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni of having political motives to the advancement of the negotiations.

Earlier Sunday, the committee rejected a bill initiated by the Jewish Home seeking to block the future release of Palestinian prisoners.

Hawkish right-wing members of Netanyahu's coalition called upon him to halt the prisoners' release amid several incidents against Israelis in the West Bank, in which three people were killed, including two soldiers, and one girl was moderately injured.

In July, the Israeli cabinet approved the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners held for security felonies since before the 1993 Oslo peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, as a goodwill gesture to the Palestinian government.

（Editor：LiangJun、Yao Chun）