Palestinians Release Two Jailed After Bombing
The Palestinian Authority has released two militants jailed in connection with a Tel Aviv suicide bombing, hoping to ensure that the Islamic Jihad militia abides by the truce with Israel, Palestinian officials said Friday.
The release was part of a package of gestures that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas made to militant groups Thursday after renewed violence with Israel. Abbas also agreed to include Hamas and Islamic Jihad in preparations for Israel’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip this summer, officials said.
Representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad agreed to honor the 4-month-old cease-fire as long as they are not attacked.
The Palestinian Authority released Sadiq Odeh and Jasser Kob from a Jericho jail late Thursday on the condition that they remain in the West Bank town. The two men were arrested, but never charged, in connection with a Feb. 25 bombing that killed five Israelis at the Stage nightclub in Tel Aviv.
A panel formed by Interior Minister Nasser Yousef reviewed the men’s files and decided they were not involved in the attack, a security official said.
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