Israel to free 90 Palestinians

September 23, 2007

The gesture is aimed at strengthening Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of a Middle East peace conference which is due to be held sometime in mid-November. None of the prisoners to be freed will have Israeli blood on their hands and all must agree to renounce violence - almost certainly ruling out Islamist detainees. While the Palestinian Authority welcomes the gesture it says Israel's criteria for releasing prisoners is "too restrictive" and should be changed.