The release of 400 prisoners is the second installment of an Israeli commitment of three months ago to release 900 such terrorists. The first 500 were freed in late February. Among the criteria for both releases is that the terrorists must have served at least two-thirds of their sentences.



Of the 400 prisoners to be released:

* 76 carried out shooting attacks, and served an average jail time of 63 months.

* 53 planted or threw bombs, and served an average of 69 months in prison.

* 41 were arrested for throwing Molotov cocktails and firebombs, and sat in prison for an average of 37 months.



The data is based on the Israel Prisons Authority list of Arab prisoners slated for release as a gesture to the Palestinian Authority.



Most of the other prisoners to be released were convicted of trading in weapons, manufacturing bombs and involvement in the murder of Arabs suspected of helping Israel. The majority were arrested and sentenced during the Oslo War.



Most of those to be released have already been informed of the decision, and transferred to the Ofer terrorist prison, near Givat Ze’ev, northeast of Jerusalem.



Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has also instructed Justice Minister Tzipi Livni to prepare, in a later stage, for the release of prisoners with "blood on their hands" - despite earlier commitments to the contrary. These would include terrorist murderers jailed before 1993.



PA Chairman Abbas threatened Sunday to renew terrorism if the PLO’s demands are not met. Speaking on ABC’s This Week program, he called on the Hamas terror group to renounce violence, and even said he believes the era of suicide bombings "has ended." But he then showed that terrorism is still an option, warning that if progress toward an agreement was not made in meetings with Prime Minister Sharon next month, "despair and loss of hope will come back, [as will] a return to the old ideas [of violence]."



Despite the period of recent "calm," Israeli forces thwart terror attacks almost daily, while rockets and mortar shells continue to be fired at Jewish communities on both sides of the Green Line.