Erekat: no agreement without release of prisoners

Sunday November 18, 2007 14:19 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Saturday stated that the Palestinian negotiating team would not agree to any peace deal that did not include a release of political prisoners from Israeli jails.

Senior Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Eriqat

Erekat's remarks came after the negotiator met with the families of a number of prisoners from the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem.

"Israel adopts racist views with regard to the prisoners issue; therefore, there should be a balanced outlook towards the women and sick prisoners. We no longer tolerate Israeli handling of the issue," Erekat told the families.

He also confirmed that "any agreement with the Israeli side should not be signed unless it guarantees reopening of all the Palestinian Authority's offices in east Jerusalem, removal of all Israeli settlements and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the West Bank."

On the subject of the Hamas movement, Erekat reiterated an earlier call for the movement to return control of the coastal region to the Palestinian Authority, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. 

tulkarem | palestinian politics | news report rami at imemc dot org