Abbas to build homes for prisoners released for Schalit By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
11/05/2011 20:56
Announcement made during meeting between PA president, released Palestinian prisoners; Palestinian
Investment Fund will
finance housing. Talkbacks (95) PA President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to
build houses for the Palestinian prisoners who were released in the Gilad Schalit exchange deal between Israel and Hamas.
The new housing project will be funded by the Palestinian Investment Fund, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
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The announcement came during a meeting between Abbas and some of the released prisoners in his office in Ramallah on Saturday.
Earlier, Abbas decided to award the prisoners financial grants of several thousand dollars for each inmate.
The prisoners will receive up to $5,000 from the PA and $2,000 from the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip.
During the meeting with the prisoners, Abbas said that the issue of the prisoners was at the top of the PA’s list of priorities. He said that PA negotiators raise the issue in all meetings and forums.
Abbas hailed the prisoners’ “steadfastness in the face of Israeli arrogance.”
He also repeated his claim that former prime minister Ehud Olmert had promised to release Fatahaffiliated prisoners after the release of Schalit in order to strengthen the PA.
