Israel is checking a list of another 600 Arab terrorists and prisoners who might be freed in the next few weeks, according to Palestinian Authority (PA) sources quoted by the Arabic Al Jazeera newspaper. It reported that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will discuss the list in their scheduled meeting next week, possibly in Jericho.
Preliminary discussions reportedly are taking place with Public Security Minister Avi Dichter (Kadima) and Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai (Labor). However, PA minister of prisoners' affairs Ashraf Ajrami denied that he spoke to Al Jazeera about a list, according to the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert recently freed 256 terrorists despite a vow last year that there would be no negotiations with the PA nor any freedom for Arab terrorists without the return of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Shalit's fate still is not known more than one year after his abduction.