By KUNA,
Ramallah : President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert failed to agree in a meeting on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be given pardon, Israeli sources said Thursday.
The two leaders did not, however, go over the identities of the prisoners, Israeli radio reported.
On his part, Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Eraikat underscored on Wednesday that about 150 Palestinian prisoners were agreed to be released. He added Palestinian President Abbas renewed his call for a pardon for Fatah leader Marwan Al-Barghouthi who was handed five life terms plus 40 years by a Tel Aviv court, as well as Ahmad Sa’adat, the Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
Meanwhile, the Israeli ministerial committee concerned with the Palestinian prisoners dossier is to consider names listed for release, the radio added, noting that Egyptian-Israeli talks on the prisoner-swap deal with Hamas will start soon.
Sources also said head of the political-security bureau at the Defense Ministry Amos Gilad is heading to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, today for more talks on the prisoner-swap.
Cairo is acting as a key mediator between Hamas and Israel in exchanging prisoners and also played a key role in an agreement reached two months ago which brought lull to Gaza.