News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a Kadima party caucus meeting Monday that freeing Arab terrorists and prisoners entails an element of danger but might help bring about the freedom of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. He said he has no illusion that the proposed release will bring about a dramatic result.

The government has not yet finalized the list of the 250 Arabs to be freed and has not eliminated the possibility that some of them may have "blood on their hands" but are candidates for freedom because they have served more than two-thirds of their prison sentences.

Security officials previously have documented that a large number of terrorists returned to attack Israel despite promises not to do so. One terrorist who recently was released was arrested early Monday morning and another was killed in counter-terrorist operations.