Israel to release 104 Palestinian prisoners for renewed peace talks

The Israeli cabinet on Sunday voted in favor of releasing 104 Palestinian prisoners in order to boost prospects for the upcoming renewed peace talks with the Palestinians. The Israeli cabinet voted in favor of establishing a team of ministers to overlook the identity of the Palestinians to be freed, with 13 ministers supporting the motion, seven against and two abstaining. The 104 Palestinian prisoners to be released have been locked up for security-related offenses since before the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and Palestine. One of the Palestinian Authority's key demands in order to restart the peace talks with Israel, which came to a halt in 2010, is the release of the prisoners. The team overseeing the release of the prisoners will consist of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, Justice Minister and chief negotiator Tzipi Livni, and Science Minister Yaakov Peri. The prisoners will be released gradually in several groups, with the first group scheduled for release in early August. Some political analysts said Israel's movement sent a positive signal to the Palestinian government, and they also considered it as progress in reviving peace talks between the two countries. Meanwhile, Netanyahu, who has crossed a political hurdle with the approval of the release of the prisoners that was proposed by him, said it was not an "easy moment" in a written statement to Israeli citizens on Saturday night. "If the released prisoners pose threats to Israel again, the Israeli government can arrest them. Thus, comparing to other requirements made by Palestine. The cost of releasing of prisoners is relatively low, and Israel can accept it," said Eli Nisan, an Israeli political commentator. However, dozens of Israelis also rallied on Sunday in Jerusalem to protest against the government's vote on the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners. In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, some Palestinian families were excited about the news and are looking forward to the return of their loved ones. "Some of the Palestinians, including my son, will be released. We are very happy about that, and it's like a rebirth for them. I think that Israel's release of the Palestinians brings new hope to these prisoners and their families, and also brings peace between the two countries," said Mustafa Sumrin, father of a Palestinian prisoner about to be released by Israel.