In the government’s pre-Ramadan good-will gesture, 198 terrorists and security prisoners were released as planned on Monday morning.

In Ramallah, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was preparing a hero’s welcome for the released prisoners while they were signing a document committing not to engage in acts of terror in the future. Many of the terror attacks perpetrated over recent years were carried out by terrorists released from Israeli prisons, all having signed the document to disconnect from terror.

The terrorists were transported to the Bituniya Checkpoint in the Ramallah district, where they were released into PA custody. Special attention will be given to the veteran terrorists, Sayed al-Ataba, who has been in an Israeli prison since 1977, and of Abu-Ali Yata, a Fatah dignitary imprisoned since 1980.

Many PA residents questioned the term “good-will gesture,” stating there are still thousands of PA prisoners being held by Israel.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)