|
Trending Topics
|
Palestinians Celebrate First Prisoner Releases Ahead of Peace Talks
(Telegraph-UK) Robert Tait - A Palestinian given a life sentence for the murder of an Israeli soldier who was killed by a giant boulder pushed from a roof was among 26 prisoners freed on Tuesday in a goodwill gesture aimed at restarting peace talks. Samir al-Na'neesh, 47, was jailed in 1989 after being convicted of planning the attack. He is one of 104 inmates to be set free over the next nine months in four separate phases as negotiations supposedly progress. He was greeted like a conquering hero by his extended family and friends at a homecoming gathering in Ramallah, where he and other newly liberated prisoners met PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Many Israelis view men such as al-Na'neesh as cold-blooded murderers whose release is a price too high for a negotiating round few believe has much chance of bringing peace.