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Israel Has Started Releasing Hundreds of Palestinians From Israeli Prison
Aired August 06, 2003 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Israel has now started releasing hundreds of Palestinians from an Israeli prison. The process began about two hours ago. But the Palestinians are demanding more and it is creating another speed bump on that road map to peace.
Let's go live to northern Israel now.
That's where Jerrold Kessel is -- hello, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
The Israelis are calling this a goodwill gesture and, indeed, it is, in terms of the fact that they don't -- aren't obliged under the road map for peace to actually release Palestinian prisoners. But calling it a goodwill gesture doesn't really create the goodwill, it seems, because there are many thousands of Palestinians who will remain after these releases in prisons like this one here behind me, in Israeli prisons, and no immediate likelihood that they'll be released. And the Palestinians say there are far too few people being released and this is not the way it should have been done, it should have been in condoned.
That having been said, there are 339 people who are going free today, who were held by Israel under various terms of detention, of having committed various security offenses, none who had killed the Israelis. The Israelis very adamant on that. They won't be releasing anyone who has actually killed somebody in a terror act, as the Israelis call it, or any kind of action undertaken during -- by the Palestinians in their fight against Israel.
But there will be 339 families that will be happy and as we saw from the faces of many of those prisoners as the buses came out from this particular jail earlier today -- they're being transferred to another location before their eventual release on the border with the West Bank or Gaza -- they were happy, too, showing V signs. Even though they showed their handcuffs that they were still being held with, they're clearly happy to get out.
But by and large, we don't expect to be the kind of national major celebrations on the Palestinian side, because the Palestinians have been hoping, expecting and continue to demand more. But Israel begrudgingly making these releases, says they need to see the Palestinians taking on the terror groups, those who want to go back to militant actions, before they'll engage in any further releases.
All in all, then, it is something of a step, but not really likely to break the ice and to increase the trust between the two sides -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel reporting live from northern Israel this morning.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, by the way, calls the prisoner release a deceit. That's because most of the prisoners being freed have nearly completed their prison terms. Israel doesn't really want to hear from Arafat because he is not included in their negotiations.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Israeli Prison>
Aired August 6, 2003 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Israel has now started releasing hundreds of Palestinians from an Israeli prison. The process began about two hours ago. But the Palestinians are demanding more and it is creating another speed bump on that road map to peace.
Let's go live to northern Israel now.
That's where Jerrold Kessel is -- hello, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
The Israelis are calling this a goodwill gesture and, indeed, it is, in terms of the fact that they don't -- aren't obliged under the road map for peace to actually release Palestinian prisoners. But calling it a goodwill gesture doesn't really create the goodwill, it seems, because there are many thousands of Palestinians who will remain after these releases in prisons like this one here behind me, in Israeli prisons, and no immediate likelihood that they'll be released. And the Palestinians say there are far too few people being released and this is not the way it should have been done, it should have been in condoned.
That having been said, there are 339 people who are going free today, who were held by Israel under various terms of detention, of having committed various security offenses, none who had killed the Israelis. The Israelis very adamant on that. They won't be releasing anyone who has actually killed somebody in a terror act, as the Israelis call it, or any kind of action undertaken during -- by the Palestinians in their fight against Israel.
But there will be 339 families that will be happy and as we saw from the faces of many of those prisoners as the buses came out from this particular jail earlier today -- they're being transferred to another location before their eventual release on the border with the West Bank or Gaza -- they were happy, too, showing V signs. Even though they showed their handcuffs that they were still being held with, they're clearly happy to get out.
But by and large, we don't expect to be the kind of national major celebrations on the Palestinian side, because the Palestinians have been hoping, expecting and continue to demand more. But Israel begrudgingly making these releases, says they need to see the Palestinians taking on the terror groups, those who want to go back to militant actions, before they'll engage in any further releases.
All in all, then, it is something of a step, but not really likely to break the ice and to increase the trust between the two sides -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel reporting live from northern Israel this morning.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, by the way, calls the prisoner release a deceit. That's because most of the prisoners being freed have nearly completed their prison terms. Israel doesn't really want to hear from Arafat because he is not included in their negotiations.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Israeli Prison>
