Israel to weigh freeing prisoners involved in attacks

JERUSALEM - Israel has agreed for the first time to study a Palestinian demand to free prisoners convicted by Israel of involvement in attacks, political sources said.

Israel has previously refused to include any Palestinians involved in attacks on a list of prisoners it had promised to free after a peace summit on February 8.

When asked to include inmates with "blood on their hands" on the release list, Justice Minister Tsipi Livni told Palestinian officials at a meeting to co-ordinate a prisoner release: "We will study this".

Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs Sufian Abu Zeideh had asked her to consider freeing Palestinians jailed for attacks committed before 1994, when Palestinians won partial self-rule under an interim peace accord, the sources said.

"The way to end a conflict is by opening a new page," Abu Zeideh was quoted as having told Livni.

Israel freed 500 Palestinian prisoners on February 21 but delayed releasing a remaining 400 after a suicide bombing occurred several days later in Tel Aviv, killing five Israelis.

Freeing prisoners is a key confidence-building measure sought by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to win the support of militants for his ceasefire with Israel.

Livni met Palestinian officials in Jerusalem for more than two hours to co-ordinate a second release. No date for another release was set, but the officials agreed to meet again in about two weeks, the sources said.

- REUTERS