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Israel to transfer Palestinian militants’ bodies to PNA

24 May 2012 01:16 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Israeli army on Wednesday began exhuming over 100 bodies of Palestinian militants, which are to be transferred to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), APA reports quoting Xinhua.

An Israeli official, who requested anonymity, said on Wednesday that the operation was discussed with the Palestinians in recent weeks.

"This is a gesture of ours to PNA leader, Abu-Mazen (President Mahmoud Abbas), to show good will," the official said, adding that "We are in hope it will encourage the renewal of the peace talks."

Israel is set to hand over 130 bodies to the Palestinians, in an operation that is likely to last into the weekend, Ynet news reported.

The deal was planned during a meeting held in Ramallah two weeks ago between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s special envoy, Yitzhak Molcho.

Another senior official told Xinhua that "During the meeting, Abbas raised two topics that he saw as important: the Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike and the transfer of the bodies."

Some 1,600 Palestinians in Israeli jails last week ended a month-long hunger strike in order to improve their conditions.

The official added that "Molcho came back with this message to the Israeli prime minister, who decided to accept the requests as a (goodwill) gesture."

The hunger strikers began taking nourishment last week, after reaching an Egyptian-brokered agreement with Israel.

"Netanyahu gave a direct order to be more flexible in the negotiations with the prisoners, and also instructed the transfer of the bodies," the official noted.