Fayyad, Barak, met in Tel Aviv on Saturday

Sunday August 17, 2008 07:06 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli sources reported that Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Salaam Fayyad, and the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, met on Saturday evening in Tel Aviv and held talks over the release of Palestinian political detainees imprisoned by Israel.

Palestinian PM Dr. Salaam Fayyad

The meeting was held at the Tel Aviv apartment building of Barak and media outlets were kept out.

Israel recently pledged to free some 150 Palestinian detainees as a good will gesture to the Palestinian government, headed by Fayyad.

 The office of Fayyad issued a statement following the closed-door meeting and said that Fayyad insisted that Israel should stop all settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories, and also demanded Israel to stop its invasions and its pursuit of resistance fighters.  

Fayyad said that these attacks undermine the authority of his government in the Palestinian territories.

Also, Fayyad repeated the Palestinian demand the Israel should free Marwan Barghouthi, a former legislator and a senior Fateh leader, who is imprisoned by Israel after being sentenced to several life-terms.

 Meanwhile, Israel’s defense ministry said that Barak and Fayyad also held talks on security arrangements, economic projects and the conducts of the Palestinian security forces in the West Bank.

 Israel is holding approximately 11.000 Palestinians captive in its prisons, during an August 6 meeting between Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli PM, Ehud Olmert, the Israeli PM vowed to release more than  150 detainees.

It is worth mentioning that Olmert said that he will resign next month due to the corruption charges he is facing as he is currently being probed by the police.

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