Israeli officials said Monday they would delay the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners until next week because of a request by Palestinian officials. According to the AP, they said the Palestinian officials had asked for the delay because President Mahmoud Abbas is out of the country and wants to be back in the West Bank to greet the freed prisoners.
Abbas is on an Islamic pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Rafiq Husseini, a top Abbas aide, said the Palestinian leader, also known as Abu Mazen, had not sought any delay, and that Israeli officials had not contacted his office over the delay. "I can assure you Abu Mazen doesn't want to see these people imprisoned for one single day," he said.
Abbas planned stops in Russia and the U.S. before returning to the West Bank, he said. The officials said the release, originally set for Tuesday, would now take place on Dec. 15.
