A Palestinian woman holds a photograph of a prisoner on hunger strike during a rally in the West Bank city of Hebron to show solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails, in February. Image by Haaretz

Over the past two weeks, since the Israeli government’s decision to release 104 pre-Oslo Palestinian prisoners involved in murdering Israelis, the Palestinian Authority has been conducting a political and PR campaign focused on this issue. Palestinian ambassadors around the world were asked to relay letters to foreign ministries in the countries where they are serving, which emphasize that contrary to Israeli’s claim, the prisoners are not terrorists.

The special Israeli ministerial committee on the release of Palestinian prisoners is convening Sunday evening at 09:00 P.M. Because of Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu’s leave for medical reasons, the discussion will be headed by Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Science Minister Jacob Perry will also attend the meeting; Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch will not attend, as he is currently out of the country.

The meeting is expected to conclude toward midnight; only then will the names of the Palestinian prisoners be made public. The 26 prisoners are to be released on Tuesday night, ahead of the meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

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)

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