Israel delays release of Palestinian prisoners
Israel has decided to delay by one week the planned release of 230 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Western-backed president Mahmud Abbas, a senior official said on Monday.
Israel will release about 150 Palestinian prisoners, including perhaps a couple of prominent ones, at the end of this month as a gesture to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, officials from both sides said after a meeting Wednesday between Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.