In a televised speech on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, stated that there can be no peace with Israel if the release of all political detainees was not part of any peace deal, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.Marking the Palestinian Prisoners Day, Abbas said that nearly 8500 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel. Official Palestinian centers defending detainees rights report as many as 11000 detainees are still imprisoned by Israel.
Thousands of Palestinians rallied in several Palestinian areas marking the Palestinian Prisoners Day and demanding the release of all detainees from Israeli prisons and detention centers.
President Abbas said that the Palestinian leadership hopes that the peace process will move forward, and that there will be solid grounds for a comprehensive peace deal between the Palestinian and the Israelis.
He added that a peace conference on the Middle East will be held in Moscow in June.
Abbas said that he hopes that this conference will create a momentum for peace, and will lay the grounds of a comprehensive deal which will also include Syria and Lebanon. The statements of Abbas came during a speech he gave at a university in Moscow, Haaretz added.
The Palestinian president is currently conducting a three-day visit to Russia and is expected to meet the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. The Russian president is currently visiting Libya and Italy and is expected to return to Russia on Friday.
Russia proposed to hold the conference and Israel did not voice any objections. The Russian proposal came after the Annapolis Peace Summit in Maryland – USA.
The proposed conference will attempt to bring Syria and Israel back to the negotiations table after eight years of idleness.
Russia is a member of the Quarter Committee which is attempting to brokers a peace deal which would end the Middle East Conflict. Quartet Committee members are Russia, the United States, The European Union and the United Nations.
Russia is the only member of the Committee which recognizes Hamas movement and held talks with its leaders. This issue could give Russia the chance to have a better influence as a mediator.
