PM Qorei Calls for Pressurizing Israel for Release of Prisoners
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RAMALLAH, Palestine, April18, 2005 (IPC+ Agencies)--[Official PA
website]Prime Minister, Ahmad Qorei, called yesterday on the international
community, including the Quartet (United Nations, United States, European
Union, Russia) to pressurize the Israeli government for the release of
Palestinian prisoners.

Qorei's remarks were addressed to a gathering of prisoners' families in
front of the Palestinian council of ministers' headquarters on the sideline
of solidarity with the prisoners on the occasion of 'prisoners day'.

PM Qorei pointed out that the most significant issues, the Palestinian
leadership is facing currently, are the 'land and human', as there have been
relentless efforts to free all the prisoners with no condition nor
exception.

Premier Qorei pointed out "its time that Israel releases all the prisoners
for the sake of peacemaking".

The families of prisoners, handed over Mr. Qorei a memo, demanding a swift
convention of the Palestinian cabinet to work out a national strategy for
the follow up by the cabinet, the legislative council, local NGOs of the
prisoners issue.

In the meantime, many solidarity activities in different parts of the
Palestinian territories continued to overflow over Sunday, as approximately
8.000 prisoners kept up a hunger strike for the second day in row.

In the Gaza City, Society of Imprisoned and Freed Palestinians (Hussam), in
coordination with the Higher Committee for the Defense of Palestinian
Prisoners, held yesterday a central public conference in the Rashad Elshawa
Cultural Center, marking such an occasion.

Minister of Prisoners Affairs, Sufiyan Abu Zayda, who attended the
gathering, asserted that the Palestinian leadership has already decided it
would never sign a peace deal with Israel unless the latter keeps holding
the Palestinian prisoners.

Mr. Abu Zayda called on all parties concerned, including the Arab countries'
leaders, to exert much more efforts to raise the prisoners issue on both the
political and social fronts as well as mobilizing financial support for the
prisoners.

In Ramallah, many families of the prisoners gathered in Ramallah downtown
and chanted slogans calling for the release of all prisoners
unconditionally.

Addressing the demonstrators by phone, Abu Rabee', representative of
prisoners at the Ofer prison, near Ramallah, reiterated the prisoners'
commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

In the Jenin City, other prisoners' families took part in a sit-in in front
of the Red Cross International's headquarters, holding photos of their
beloved ones, who are still being jailed by Israel.

The situation in Hebron was, to the extent, similar as the city witnessed
yesterday large demonstrations in solidarity with the prisoners, in which
all categories of the society took part.