Israel to free long-serving Palestinian prisoners

[oberliner]

JERUSALEM - Israel said Monday it will free two of its most prominent Palestinian prisoners — a militant mastermind from the 1970s and a gunman elected to parliament while behind bars — among 199 inmates to be released as a goodwill gesture to embattled Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

While the move will give an important boost to the moderate Abbas, it drew fierce criticism from some Israeli politicians, who said it could undermine attempts to free a captured Israeli soldier held in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Israel's prisons service said the upcoming release would include Said al-Atba, who has served 32 years of a life sentence for planting a bomb, illegal military training and belonging to a banned group. Al-Atba, 57, is the longest serving prisoner held by Israel and he is widely seen by the Palestinian public as a symbol for the prisoners.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080818/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians_4