Sharon halts prisoner releases

Israel is estimated to hold 7,500 Palestinian prisoners in its jails

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has put the release of Palestinian prisoners on hold, demanding tougher action to curb militants.

Four hundred more prisoners were expected to be freed as part of a truce deal in February between Mr Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

But relations have soured recently, with Israel complaining of repeated rocket attacks on its towns.

Palestinian politicians accused Israel of going back on its promises.

Rocket attacks

The prime minister's spokesman said Israel did not plan to release any more Palestinian prisoners in the coming days.

Raanan Gissin told the BBC Israel was not stopping the prisoner release programme agreed by Mr Sharon and Mr Abbas at a summit in Egypt in February.

But, he said, Israel wanted to see Mr Abbas take more action against Palestinian militants - particularly those who have been firing homemade rockets at Israeli targets from the Gaza Strip in recent days - before further releases would be made.

Mr Sharon agreed prisoner releases at a summit in Egypt in February

Mr Sharon has been quoted as telling the cabinet that no releases would be made "at the expense of Israeli lives".

A senior government official quoted him telling the cabinet: "Let it be clear, there will be no prisoner release before steps are taken against terror.

"The Palestinians are doing nothing about this issue. It would be a mistake of the first order to make even the smallest concession on security."

Five hundred Palestinians were freed on 21 February as part of a pledge to release 900 prisoners in total in a goodwill gesture towards Mr Abbas, who had declared a joint ceasefire with Mr Sharon at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on 8 February.

Evacuation plans

In recent days Gaza settlements and communities in southern Israel have come under sporadic rocket and mortar bomb fire by militants, putting pressure on the truce between the two leaders.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said Mr Sharon's comments showed Israel had frozen the implementation of confidence-building initiatives agreed in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Palestinian prisoner affairs minister Sufian Abu Zaydeh told news agency AFP: "It is clear that the Israelis have changed their position and gone back on the agreements reached at Sharm el-Sheikh."

Last month, the militant Hamas group said the "period of calm" agreed in March under pressure from Mr Abbas was in danger of collapse unless Israel carried out its pledge to release another 400 prisoners.

Mr Sharon plans significant changes in the summer, intending to evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank.