PA minister: Israel captives release delay, political blackmail

Any delay in releasing Palestinian captives jailed in Israel would be "political blackmail," the Palestinian Authority Minister of Prisoner Affairs said Tuesday.

Issa Qaraqe told Ma'an that Israel is scheduled to release a final group of 30 long-held captives on March 29. So far, 78 of a total of 104 long-held Palestinian captives have been freed.

However, speaking to Israeli army radio, Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, an outspoken hardliner who opposes a Palestinian state, said Israel's pledge to release them was unlikely to happen because there had been no move in the US-led 'peace' process.

"The (original) decision said (the release) should be dependent on progress in the negotiations and now it is clear to everyone that there has been no progress," Bennett said of the talks which are facing collapse ahead of an April 29 deadline.

But Qaraqe said any delay to the release would amount to "political blackmail" and could "foil negotiations."

The PA minister said the release of captives was not conditional on 'peace' talks and had been part of agreement with the PLO not to seek membership of any international organizations during the nine month period.