Image by getty image

Israeli ministers on Sunday are expected to approve the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails since before the Oslo Accords were signed, and not 82 prisoners as was previously stated.

A government official said that the number of prisoners to be released within the framework of renewed negotiations with the Palestinians will increase. According to the official, the timeframe for the release of the prisoners, to take place in four stages, has also changed. The first release will be one month earlier, to take place just after the first meeting between Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat in Washington. The last release, originally scheduled to take place within eight months of the first talk, will be pushed back by one month.

The reason behind the changes is unclear. It is possible that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acquiesced to pressure from the United States, or perhaps there was a breakdown of communications within the Israeli government, or a misunderstanding between the three parties – Israel, the U.S., and the Palestinians.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Over the last week, Israeli officials reported in press releases that only 82 Palestinian prisoners were set to be released, and that Israel refused to release some 20 jailed Arabs with Israeli citizenship.

Read more at Haaretz.com.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount