Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in a surprise gesture intended to strengthen Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, announced at Monday's summit here the unilateral release of 250 Fatah prisoners.
"As a gesture of goodwill to the Palestinians, and amid an understanding of the importance of the issue of the prisoners, I decided today that I'll bring to the Israeli government at its next meeting a recommendation to release 250 prisoners from Fatah, without blood on their hands, as long as they sign commitments not to again become involved in terrorism," Olmert told the gathering at the Red Sea resort.
Olmert and his aides have said for days that there was no intention at this time to discuss a prisoner release.
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