 |
|
| Palestinians await prisoner releases |
| CCTV.COM 2003-08-06 09:08:59 |
|
Relatives of jailed Palestinians are today preparing to welcome home their loved ones. Israel will free 339 Palestinian prisoners at 1130 GMT on Wednesday and will release an additional 99 at a later date. But their joy has been tempered by regrets that many more will remain in jail.
Dahoud Obeiyad has been behind bars for 11 years. He was accused of taking part in several attacks against Israelis. His father, Mahmoud, has decorated his house in Bethlehem. The family is preparing a special meal for the reunion on Wednesday.
"This is the happiest day in my whole life. It will be the happiest moment in my life when I see him free," said Mahmoud Obeiyad But Obeiyad agrees with his prime minister, saying true happiness will come only after Israel sets free all 6,000 prisoners it is holding.
In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, a similar story of father and son. Mousa Shaat wept as he remembered his son, Hamdi, a Hamas militant jailed more than 12 years ago. But in Hebron, eleven－year－old Obada Amer is one of thousands who will not see his father on Wednesday. He was jailed 11 years ago for stabbing and wounding a Jewish settler in the West Bank town of Hebron. Obada's father is not due for release for another three years.
The Palestinians want an amnesty for all 6,000 of their jailed compatriots. However, in Israel, the decision to release jailed Palestinians has divided opinions and feelings.Some Israelis welcome it as a gesture of peace. But relatives of victims of suicide attacks are struggling to come to terms with it.
|
|
Editor: Xiao Wei CCTV.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
