Israel set to release 26 Palestinian prisoners

The Palestinian Authority (PA) minister for prisoners' affairs has confirmed that Israel will release 26 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday, following the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Issa Qaraqe told Arab Today that most of the prisoners have been in detention for more than 20 years. The minister denied reports that that Israeli authorities were planning to deport the 104 prisoners from the West Bank and move them to the Gaza Strip. "Deporting any Palestinian prisoners from their home or banning them from coming back is considered a war crime, and an unacceptable violation of international and humanitarian conventions,” Qaraqe said. The Palestinian minister explained that the recent peace talks would stop Israel from deporting any Palestinian prisoners, adding that the PA expressly rejects the deportation policy used by Israel. On Sunday, an Israeli special ministerial committee on the release of Palestinian prisoners met to decide which 26 Palestinian prisoners would be in the first group to be freed this week. According to the agreement reached in Washington, the 104 prisoners will be released in four groups.