Buses preparing to carry terrorist prisoners
Buses preparing to carry terrorist prisonersIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Isa Karaka, the Palestinian Authority's head of Prisoner Affairs has claimed this morning (Monday) that he was not consulted beforehand about which prisoners were to be released Tuesday by the Israeli government, and that the State of Israel decided on the list without Palestinian Authority consent, as reported by Reshet Bet radio. 

In an interview with the Voice of Palestine radio station, Karaka stated that the prisoners being released will receive a heroes' welcome, at an official ceremony on the night of Muqata in Ramallah. Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will be in attendance. 

According to one Palestinian media report, 3 of the released terrorists will be from Hamas, 4 will be members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the rest from Abbas' Fatah organization. 

An special ministerial committee approved last night (Sunday) the release of 26 terrorist killers as part of procedures outlined during the initiative to renew negotiations with the PA three months ago. 

Among the terrorists who have been selected for release, 21 are from Judea and Samaria and 5 are from Gaza. An official statement claims that all prisoners are being released for "crimes committed before the Oslo accords, and have served a sentence between 19-28 years."