Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that he won't sign any permanent peace agreement with Israel if it doesn't include the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Abbas, who is currently in Russia for talks with outgoing President Vladimir Putin, addressed on telephone a rally held in the West Bank city of Ramallah to mark the Palestinian Prisoner's Day.
Abbas stressed that peace can't be achieved with Israel without freeing all the prisoners from the Israeli jails. "We insist that before signing any agreement, Israel should start releasing prisoners in order to succeed the peace process."
Palestinian official figures issued by different local organizations to defend prisoners said that Israel is holding in its jails around 12,000 Palestinians, including senior leaders, women and children.
After holding the peace conference in Annapolis in late November last year, Israel and the Palestinians began talks on permanent status issues, mainly Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, water and borders.
"We succeeded in adding the prisoners issue to other permanent status issues. In every meeting with the Israelis, we present the prisoners issue on the table on the negotiations," said Abbas.
Abbas renewed his call on Islamic Hamas movement to end its Gaza Strip takeover, adding "Hamas movement should put the highest national interest as a priority and achieve a real unity."
Hamas movement took control of the Gaza Strip last June following weeks of bloody fighting with rival Fatah movement. Hamas routed Abbas security forces and seized all his security headquarters in the enclave.
Source:Xinhua
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