Last update - 00:00 03/02/2008
Ministers to meet again on relaxing criteria for freeing Palestinian prisoners
By Barak Ravid ,Haaretz Correspondent
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will convene Sunday the special ministerial forum to discuss relaxing the criteria for releasing Palestinian prisoners release criteria, as part of ongoing negotiations to forge a deal for the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.
Security officials said Olmert would soon have to decide whether Israel should free Hamas prisoners to the Gaza Strip, with the defense establishment divided on the issue.
Officials added that Ofer Dekel, the government's point man for negotiating the return of Israeli hostages, favors the release of prisoners to the Strip in return for the transfer of Shalit to a third party, possibly Egypt.
However, Shin Bet security services head Yuval Diskin, disagrees with Dekel's proposal for fear that Hamas will not fulfill its part of the deal.
Sunday's meeting is to include Vice Premier Haim Ramon, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
The ministers held a similar meeting last Thursday, but no recommendations have yet been made to the government. Also last week, Dekel met in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.
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