Israel Frees Up Palestinian Funds

PM Olmert makes pledge at summit with Arab leaders

(NEWSER) - Israel plans to free 250 Fatah members as part of an international push to shore up Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Washington Post reports.The announcement came at the close of a summit at a Red Sea resort, where Mideast leaders gathered to talk about dealing with Hamas in the wake of the Gaza takeover. More»

Abbas and Olmert to meet in effort to isolate Hamas

(NEWSER) - Alarmed by the Hamas takeover in Gaza, Egypt will host a summit Monday, bringing together the Western-backed Palestinian president and the Israeli PM, along with Jordanian and Egyptian leaders, Reuters reports. The move is a show of support for the moderate Mamoud Abbas-led emergency government, and an effort to isolate Hamas, reports the AP. More»

(NEWSER) - Violence between the Hamas and Fatah factions has brought the Palestinian territories to the brink of civil war, a situation that now directly involves Israel, which launched air strikes on Gaza today. Earlier, Hamas gunmen killed at least five guards as they attacked the home of a Fatah security chief. At least 40 people have died in Gaza since Friday. More»

Freed prisoners intended to shore up Fatah PM Abbas; some in Israel fuming

(NEWSER) - Israel today released 198 Palestinian prisoners in an effort to bolster Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, the AFP reports. The release, on the eve of a visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, included two prisoners held since the late 1970s who were convicted of murdering Israelis. One of them, a Fatah party member who killed an Israeli settler in Hebron, was elected to parliament in 2006. More»

Jericho get-together signals progress in stalled peace process

(NEWSER) - Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas met in the West Bank city of Jericho today, the first time an Israeli head of state has been to the Palestinian territories in 7 years. The meeting was an attempt by both parties to bolster the moderate Fatah party’s standing and to bring momentum to the two-state peace process, the Times reports. More»