JERUSALEM ? Israel approved building nearly 1,200 more settlement homes yesterday and agreed to release 26 long-held Palestinian security prisoners, highlighting an apparent settlements-for-prisoners trade-off that got both sides back to peace talks after a five-year freeze.
The announcement was Israel?s third in a week on promoting Jewish settlements on war-won lands the Palestinians want for a state. It fuelled Palestinian fears of a new Israeli construction spurt under the cover of US-sponsored negotiations.
In Israel, the most vocal protests came from relatives of those killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians slated for release. Bereaved relatives held up large photos of their loved ones during a Supreme Court hearing on an appeal against the release.
Israelis and Palestinians are to launch talks on Wednesday in Jerusalem, following a preparatory round two weeks ago in Washington. The US envisions an agreement within nine months on the terms of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, including drawing a border, agreeing on security arrangements and deciding the fate of Palestinian refugees.
The Palestinians want a state to include the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. But they are willing to swap some West Bank land for Israeli territory to allow Israel to annex some of the largest Jewish settlements. In all, Israel has built dozens of settlements since 1967 that are now home to some 560,000 Israelis.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas long insisted that he would only resume talks if Israel freezes construction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a freeze. Mr Abbas, under pressure from US Secretary of State John Kerry, eventually dropped it as a condition for talks.
In exchange, Mr Kerry won Israeli agreement that it will release 104 Palestinian prisoners serving long sentences, many for involvement in killing Israelis. The prisoners are to be freed in four stages during the negotiations, with the first 26 to be released later this week. AP
Source: http://www.todayonline.com/world/middle-east/israel-approves-1200-more-settlement-homes
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