ISRAEL SET FOR HUGE RELEASE OF TERRORISTS FROM JAILS

Palestinians Unhappy with Israel's Release of 256 Prisoners (JPC)
Palestinians are unhappy with the list of 256 Palestinian prisoners Israel will release this week, according to this Jerusalem Post report.

"Israel insists on releasing those who have limited sentences," said Palestinian Authority minister for prisoner affairs, Ashraf al-Ajrami. "We want a release of prisoners who received long sentences."

The prisoners' names, 85% of whom are Fatah members, will be published online today. Israelis will have two days to challenge the release in court before the prisoners are freed on Friday.

For on-target commentary, read "Back to Oslo Illusion: Israel's immunity gesture will restore terror infrastructure in West Bank."

17% of prisoners resume terror activity (JPost)
Nearly one in every five Palestinian prisoners who has been released returns to terror activities, a senior Justice Ministry official said Wednesday.

The remarks by Pardons Department head Emmy Palmor came just two days before Israel is scheduled to free more than 250 Palestinian prisoners in a confidence-building measure aimed at bolstering Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

About 85 percent of the Palestinian prisoners slated for release on Friday morning were from Fatah, and the rest from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Palmor said. None of the prisoners were from Hamas, she noted.

Palmor said that about 17% of Palestinian prisoners convicted on terror-related offensives who had been freed by Israel later returned to terror activities. "I cannot tell you that none of the 250 prisoners who will be released on Friday will return to terror," Palmor said in a press briefing.

The Almagor Terror Victims Association, which has petitioned the High Court of Justice to delay the release, said Wednesday that 179 Israelis have been killed over the last seven years by Palestinians freed in previous deals.