Reports: Israel to free 550 Palestinian prisoners Sunday

Dec 14, 2011, 11:57 GMT

Tel Aviv - Israel is expected to free 550 Palestinian prisoners, among then children, on Sunday as part of its prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, Israeli and Palestinian media reported.

The release would mark the second stage of the deal, which will see a total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners freed in return for an Israeli soldier who was held captive by Hamas for five years.

In the first stage, 477 Palestinians were freed, and soldier Gilad Shalit returned home on October 18. Under the terms of the deal, the remaining prisoners were to be released within two months.

Israel generally publishes the list of prisoner due for release up to 48 hours before any exchange, to allow appeals to be lodged against the decision.

The Palestinian al-Quds daily quoted Palestinian inmates from a prison in southern Israel as saying they were told by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) that they would be informed within the next 24 hours of the names of those who will be released. Those who are on the list would then be brought to a facility near Ramallah on the central West Bank, for their expected release on Sunday.

The Ha'aretz daily reported Wednesday that the prisoners to be freed were serving sentences for 'security offences,' and not for attacks in which Israelis were killed. Minors and children were among the prisoners, according to the newspaper.

The report said none were members of Hamas or Islamic Johad, but were affiliated with the mainstream Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

IPS spokeswoman Sivan Weizman could not confirm the reports, saying the prison service was waiting for final authorization by the Justice Ministry to publish the list of names.