Bolanle Akanji
Moderator
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the 26 Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel in Ramallah with a pledge to continue agitating for the release of other prisoners.
He said after the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners by Israeli government on Tuesday, that his government would not sign a final peace deal with Israel until all the prisoners are released.
"We promise you this will not be the last time and there will be more groups of heroes coming to us frequently in the near future, God willing," Abbas said.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners as part of a U.S. brokered package that revived peace talks after a three-year break in negotiations.
It said Tuesday's release was the third of four groups to go free and coming ahead of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to the region on Wednesday to meet Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Marie Harf, U.S. State Department spokeswoman described the release was a positive step forward.
She said the USA is seeking to broker an agreement on a "two-state solution" in which Israel would exist peacefully alongside a new Palestinian state.
Harf said Kerry, who has set a nine-month target date for a deal, wants the sides to agree on a framework deal that could launch another year of talks and possibly lead to a peace treaty
He said after the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners by Israeli government on Tuesday, that his government would not sign a final peace deal with Israel until all the prisoners are released.
"We promise you this will not be the last time and there will be more groups of heroes coming to us frequently in the near future, God willing," Abbas said.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners as part of a U.S. brokered package that revived peace talks after a three-year break in negotiations.
It said Tuesday's release was the third of four groups to go free and coming ahead of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to the region on Wednesday to meet Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Marie Harf, U.S. State Department spokeswoman described the release was a positive step forward.
She said the USA is seeking to broker an agreement on a "two-state solution" in which Israel would exist peacefully alongside a new Palestinian state.
Harf said Kerry, who has set a nine-month target date for a deal, wants the sides to agree on a framework deal that could launch another year of talks and possibly lead to a peace treaty
