Israel is to release Marwan Barghouti, the Secretary of Fatah movement in the West Bank, who has been detained in Israeli prisons for the past 14 months, the Kuwait news agency reported Tuesday, citing Palestinian sources.
Barghouti’s wife, Fadwah, told KUNA that she received a telephone call late Monday night from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who informed her that her husband would be released within 48 hours.
Fadwah, who refused to provide any further information, said that until now she couldn’t believe the news and was worried of distributing it to the media in fear of her husband's life, as the Israeli settlers usually attack the released Palestinians. She added that she was waiting to be contacted by Arafat's bureau for further information.
Israel Radio reported Tuesday that the Palestinian cabinet minister Mohammed Dahlan has demanded that as part of a future cease-fire accord, Israel free Barghouti and pardon a number of senior Palestinian officials currently on Israel's lists of "wanted fugitives." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
