Last update - 00:00 18/08/2007
PM Office denies Israel to pardon West Bank militants
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, Reuters
The Prime Minister's Office denied reports by Palestinian officials Saturday that Israel plans to take 110 Palestinian militants in the West Bank off its wanted list as part of another move to boost Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel granted amnesty to 178 militants from Abbas's secular Fatah group last month, on condition they renounce violence. None were responsible for any Israeli deaths.
Akram Rajoub, head of the Preventive Security Forces in the West Bank city of Nablus, said Israeli officials had passed to him a list of 110 Palestinian militants set to receive amnesty. He did not elaborate which group they were loyal to.
"The wanted Palestinians mentioned in the list are to surrender their weapons to Palestinian security departments and sign documents saying they will not launch any attacks on Israel," Rajoub said.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has pledged a series of steps aimed at bolstering Abbas following the takeover of the Gaza Strip in June by the Islamist group Hamas.
Israel also released last month 255 Palestinian prisoners, mostly Abbas loyalists.
Riad Malki, Minister of Information in Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad's government - which Hamas does not recognise - confirmed the roster but urged Israel to stop its continuous raids to locate other militants in the West Bank.