EGPYT RELEASES HAMAS TERRORISTS WHO TRIED TO INFILTRATE ISRAEL

Egypt Releases Hamas Terrorists Detained in Sinai (AP/International Herald Tribune)
Egyptian security on Monday released 21 Palestinians, many of them detained in Sinai carrying weapons and explosives during the two weeks when the border was breached, and sent them back into Gaza. Twelve of the men were directly affiliated with Hamas and were believed to have been trying to infiltrate into Israel to carry out attacks.

PALI TERRORISTS ESCAPE FROM PRISON

Group of Palestinian inmates escape from Nablus prison (YNet)
A group of 14 wanted Palestinians incarcerated in the Nablus prison as part of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, escaped on Thursday.

Among the fugitives are Mahadi Abu Rizala, a prominent the al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades operative. The men who escaped were seeking to protest the conditions of their imprisonment, which they say have not improved despite promises made by the PA. (Ali Waked)

ISRAEL MAY DECLARE TWO KIDNAPPED SOLDIERS DEAD, HAVE DEAL FOR ANOTHER

Shalit Deal: 230 Terrorists to Hamas (IRIS)
Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on the identities of 230 Palestinian prisoners to be freed as part of a deal to secure the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, Army Radio reported Monday morning.

According to the report, disputes remain regarding 120 additional prisoners the group is demanding be freed in the first stage of the deal - prisoners Israel has thus far refused to release.

Progress in the negotiations was reportedly made after a decision by a special ministerial committee to relax the criteria for defining a prisoner with "blood on his hands." Initially, Israel was only willing to release 44 prisoners on the Hamas list.

Report: Israel to declare Lebanon hostages dead (JTA)
A German magazine said Israel plans to declare dead two soldiers who were abducted by Hezbollah.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's administration will soon go public with its assessments that Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, two army reservists seized by Hezbollah in a July 2006 border raid, are dead, Germany's Der Spiegel magazine reported over the weekend.

Israeli officials said there was no formal change to Jerusalem's policy that Goldwasser and Regev should be considered alive unless proven otherwise, and the soldiers' families dismissed the Der Spiegel report as speculative.

Germany has been key to efforts to mediate an Israeli-Hezbollah prisoner swap under which the soldiers would be returned home.

Hezbollah has refused to give any information on the condition of Goldwasser or Regev.

Israeli security sources believe that one or both of the men may have been killed during their kidnapping, given the amount of ordnance used against their convoy as it patrolled the Lebanese border.

Der Spiegel regularly runs stories about the Middle East and is believed to have high-placed government sources in Israel.

IS A SHALIT DEAL NEAR?

Progress in Shalit talks (JTA)
Israel and Hamas appear to be nearing a deal for the return of captive soldier Gilad Shalit.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved in principle the release of some Palestinian prisoners "with blood on their hands" as part of a future Egyptian-mediated exchange in which Shalit would be returned, Israeli security sources said Monday.

Hamas wants Israel to free 1,400 prisoners, among them senior terrorists, as ransom for Shalit, who was abducted to the Gaza Strip by Hamas-led gunmen in June 2006. Olmert has balked at granting an amnesty to Palestinians jailed for deadly attacks, and it is not clear how many could be released under his new directives.

Security sources said the Prisons Service would assemble a list of candidates that would be voted on by the Cabinet.

Israel may ultimately free as many as 1,000 prisoners, though most of them would not be senior terrorists, sources said.

Ma'ariv reported that Hamas passed Shalit's family a signed letter by the captive soldier in a show of goodwill. Shalit's family declined comment.

SAVAGE TERROR ATTACKS

Israeli Border Policeman Killed in Terror Attack at Jerusalem Checkpoint - Amos Harel, Yuval Azoulay, and Yair Ettinger
Border Policeman Rami Zohari, 20, was killed and a policewoman was seriously wounded in a terror shooting attack Thursday night at the northern entrance to Shoafat, north of Jerusalem. Two Palestinian terrorists had approached on foot, fired at the Israelis, and fled the scene. Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. (Ynet News)

Palestinian Terrorists Infiltrate West Bank High School, Wound Three - Amos Harel, Yuval Azoulay, and Yair Ettinger
Two Palestinians armed with knives and a pistol infiltrated the Mekor Haim yeshiva high school in Kfar Etzion, not far from Jerusalem. They entered a library and attacked the students and their counselors, who fought back. During the battle, one student was moderately wounded and two of the counselors were lightly wounded. One of the counselors grabbed the pistol from the terrorist and shot the intruders, killing them both. Witnesses said the terrorists were wearing uniforms of soldiers or security guards. (Ha'aretz)

See also Terrorists Who Attacked Kfar Etzion Released from Prison Last Week - Ali Waked and Efrat Weiss
The two terrorists who were killed Thursday after breaking into a high school in Kfar Etzion were released from an Israeli prison last week, Palestinian sources in Hebron said. (Ynet News)

HEZBOLLAH WILLING TO NEGOTIATE RETURNING BODY PARTS

'Hizbullah willing to negotiate returning body parts' (JPost)
Hizbullah is willing to negotiate returning to Israel body parts of several soldiers who were killed during the Second Lebanon War, Israel Radio reported Wednesday overnight.

Nasrallah made no mention of reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, whose capture sparked the war.

The organization's leader Hassan Nasrallah was quoted as telling a Lebanese TV station that negotiations with Israel were taking place, but progressing slowly.

He said that Israel seemed less anxious to receive the remains of several fallen soldiers than would seem following a deal made several weeks ago, when the body of a drowned Israeli was returned for a wounded Hizbullah fighter and the remains of two others.

Nasrallah added that Hizbullah was preparing for a war against Israel but said another round of fighting is not expected in coming months. Hizbullah was following the IDF's maneuvers in the North and its attempts to recuperate from the war, Nasrallah was quoted as saying.

HAMAS WANTS 1,400 PRISONERS FOR SHALIT

Hamas Demands 1,400 Palestinian Prisoners for Captured Israeli Soldier - Nidal al-Mughrabi (Reuters)
Hamas will not release Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in June 2006, unless Israel meets its demand to free nearly 1,400 Palestinian prisoners, including 350 with life sentences, Hamas leader Osama al-Muzaini said in Gaza on Wednesday.

See also Poll: Israelis Unwilling to Free Palestinian Murderers (JTA)
Tuesday's Ma'ariv published a survey showing that 67% of Israelis would oppose the release of Palestinians imprisoned for killing Israelis, even if this were a condition for the return of captive soldier Gilad Shalit. Asked whether the Olmert government should accept Hamas' recent offer of a truce in Gaza, 59% said no and 36% said yes.

With Shalit on table, Israel weighs ceasefire with Hamas
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Although they are not talking to each other directly, Israel and Hamas may be about to strike a deal that would include a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the abducted Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit.

ISRAEL RELEASES SENIOR HAMAS "BARGAINING CHIP"

Israel Quietly Releases Senior Hamas 'Bargaining Chip'
(IsraelNN.com) Israel released a prominent Hamas terrorist last week, according to Hamas sources. Jamal al-Tawil, considered the leader of Hamas in the Ramallah region, was involved in a Jerusalem suicide bombing in 2001 and was elected mayor of the Ramallah-area village of Al-Bireh while still in prison.

It is unclear whether the senior terrorist's release is a "good-will gesture," part of a prisoner release to gain the freedom of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit or simply a scheduled release. Al-Tawil's sentence had been served but he was being held in administrative detention and his name repeatedly appeared on lists exchanged between Israel and Hamas with regard to a prisoner swap for Shalit

ISRAEL TO PARDON 5 FATAH TERRORISTS FROM BETHLEHEM CHURCH STANDOFF

Israel to Pardon Five Fatah Gunmen Involved in Bethlehem Church Standoff
Israel has agreed to pardon five out of the 25 Fatah gunmen who were expelled from the West Bank after the 2002 standoff with the IDF at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Israel's Channel 10 television reported. (Jerusalem Post)

RELEASED PRISONERS RETURN TO TERROR

Report: Palestinian Prisoners Released by Israel Killed 177 Israelis (Haaretz)
Palestinian militants freed in past prisoner releases by Israel were responsible for at least 30 terror attacks which claimed the lives of 177 Israelis, according to a study published Monday by Almagor, an organization representing the victims of Palestinian terrorism. According to the report, 6,912 militants were released between the years 1993 and 1999, and nearly 80% of them returned to terrorist activity.

ISRAEL BEGINS RELEASING 429 PALI PRISONERS

Israel begins releasing 429 Palestinian prisoners (JPost) First three buses leave Ketziot Prison in the Negev; 408 prisoners will be transported to the West Bank and 21 to the Gaza Strip.

LIST OF CRIMES OF PALI PRISONERS TO BE RELEASED

List of Palestinians Slated for Release with Description of Crimes Committed (Israel Prison Service/IMRA)
The government of Israel has confirmed the release of 431 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture before the Annapolis conference. They had been jailed for offenses including: shooting at people, throwing Molotov cocktails, manufacture of explosive material, placement of an explosive device with intent to cause death, and throwing pipe bombs.

ISRAEL TO RELEASE MORE TERRORISTS

Israeli Cabinet Approves Release of 441 More Palestinian Prisoners in Pre-Annapolis Goodwill Gesture (Jerusalem Post)
The Israeli cabinet approved on Monday a list of 441 Palestinian prisoners to be released ahead of the Annapolis conference.  The move is intended as a goodwill gesture to Mahmoud Abbas. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Olmert will meet Egyptian President Mubarak in Egypt to coordinate positions ahead of the Annapolis meeting

U.S. PUSHES ISRAEL TO MAKE CONCESSIONS AND GESTURES BEFORE PEACE CONFERENCE

MEANWHILE, THE U.S. DOES NOT DEMAND THAT THE PALESTINIANS EVEN PRETEND TO HONOR THEIR PAST PROMISES.

US pushes Israel on West Bank settlers (AP)
JERUSALEM - The U.S. is pressuring Israel to declare a complete freeze on West Bank settlement construction ahead of a high-stakes peace conference, rejecting Israel’s long-standing policy of expanding existing communities, Israeli government officials say.

The U.S. also wants Israel to release more Palestinian prisoners than it plans to free before the meeting, expected to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, later this month, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal the information. U.S. Embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

The U.S. has been urging Israel to make a series of gestures to the Palestinians ahead of the summit. American proposals have included an Israeli freeze on West Bank settlement construction and a large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners. Israel holds an estimated 9,000 such prisoners.

Israel maintains that it should be allowed to build housing in settlements to account for the “natural growth” of the existing settler population. The U.S. opposes settlement activity, but President Bush has signaled that he would support Israel’s position that it retain some settlements under a final peace deal.

OLMERT TO RELEASE MORE TERRORISTS

Olmert: Israel to Release Hundreds of Palestinian Prisoners; No Implementation of Agreements Until Palestinians Fight Terror - Amnon Meranda
Prime Minister Olmert told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Monday that Israel planned to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners ahead of the Annapolis meeting. "These will not be prisoners with blood on their hands," he said.

"This time, we have agreed on a rule that will spare possible unpleasant results, if we reach an agreement that the Palestinians are unable to fulfill," Olmert said. "The innovation is that we will try to reach an understanding of all the components of the solution based on two states side-by-side, but we will not have to implement something before the implementation of the Road Map's first stage," the prime minister added. Olmert indicated that Israel would talk to the Palestinians on a variety of diplomatic and security issues, but will not implement a thing until the Palestinians fight terror. (Ynet News)

CATCH AND RELEASE

Catch and Release (Contentions)
The recent revelation that Palestinian Authority security personnel planned to assassinate the Israeli prime minister in Jericho came and went in the media without much sensation. But the incident is being viewed differently by Israeli officials, who see, in the details of the thwarted attack, the persistence of one of the PA’s most sinister practices—the catch-and-release treatment of Palestinian terrorists—and the stark reality that the current Palestinian leadership remains unserious about preventing terrorism.

IRONIC RETURN HOME FOR RELEASED TERRORIST

Mixed Homecoming for Released Gaza Prisoner - Nidal al-Mughrabi
The Gaza homecoming on Tuesday of Fatah loyalist Abdel-Hadi Hassanein, after seven years in an Israeli jail for shooting attacks against Israeli soldiers, was an upbeat affair - until members of Hamas' paramilitary Executive Force showed up. "They smashed the chairs and peppered my house with bullets," said Hassanein, among a group of 29 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza freed by Israel. "It seems they have been angered because we sang songs honoring Samih al-Madhoun," Hassanein said. Madhoun was an arch-foe of Hamas executed by its fighters in June. (Reuters)

ISRAEL RELEASES MORE PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS

...IN EXCHANGE FOR NOTHING. IT'S NOT AS IF THE LAST PRISONERS RELEASED FAILED TO LIVE UP TO THEIR AMNESITY AGREEMENTS AND CEASE TERROR ACTIVITIES.

Israel Freeing 87 Jailed Palestinians to Aid Abbas - Yehuda Peretz
Israel began releasing 87 jailed Palestinians on Monday, members of Abbas' Fatah or smaller secular factions, in a move aimed at strengthening Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said last week that only prisoners "without blood on their hands" - a reference to deadly attacks against the Jewish state - and willing to sign a document renouncing violence would be freed. The last such gesture by Israel was on July 20, when some 250 prisoners, most of them from Fatah, went free. Twenty-nine of the 87 prisoners on Monday's release roster come from Gaza and the others from the West Bank. (Reuters/Washington Post)

OLMERT TO FREE 90 MORE FATAH TERRORISTS

...AS ISRAEL CONTINUES TO NEGOTIATE AGAINST ITSELF AND DELIVER UNRECIPROCATED CONCESSIONS...

Olmert Gov't to Free 90 More Terrorist Prisoners (INN)
The Olmert government voted this morning to release 90 PA prisoners, as a Ramadan gesture to PA/Fatah chief Mahmoud Abbas.

SEE ALSO: Fatah Terrorists Arrested in Shechem Released on Gov't Orders (INN)
Two senior Fatah terrorists were released early Friday morning, hours after being apprehended during IDF counter-terror operations Thursday.

ABBAS WANTS 100 MORE PRISONERS RELEASED

Abbas requests release of 100 prisoners (JPost)
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday asked Israel to release 100 Fatah prisoners serving their terms in Israeli penitentiaries, Army Radio reported.

Last Friday Israel released 255 prisoners after they signed a form in which they promised not to engage in terrorist activities following their release, and underwent a special identification process to confirm that they were, in fact, the same people who appeared on the release list.

The additional prisoners, all former residents of the Gaza Strip, would theoretically bolster Fatah's presence in the Strip, and would also cause Hamas to tone down its demands in negotiations for the release of captured IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit.

Abbas also said he had no influence in the Gilad Schalit affair, placing the issue squarely in the hands of Hamas, Israel Radio reported.