Israel frees 500 Palestinians

Israel freed 500 Palestinian prisoners yesterday in the largest mass release for nearly a decade as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas faced a political crisis over shaping a new reform-minded cabinet.

US President George W. Bush, in a speech in Brussels, urged Mr Abbas to "put forward a strategy of reform" when a London conference convenes next month on financial support for the Palestinian Authority following Yasser Arafat's death.

"I hope he will seize the moment," said Mr Bush, who has pressed Palestinians for years to revamp their often competing security forces and fight corruption.

But even as Mr Abbas' hand was strengthened by jubilant scenes of homecoming for former detainees, Palestinian lawmakers opposed to the makeup of his new Cabinet forced a delay of at least a day in a vote to ratify his government.

He and Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie held talks with lawmakers from their dominant Fatah faction after complaints that the proposed Cabinet contained few new faces and retained ministers seen as part of a corrupt old guard under the iconic Arafat.

"Reform is part of (Mr) Abbas's programme and we are committed to this policy," Nabil Abu Rdainah, a Palestinian Authority spokesman, said about Mr Bush's remarks.

But, Mr Abu Rdainah said, the most important thing was to revive a US-backed "road map", which charts mutual steps towards the creation of a Palestinian state beside a secure Israel.

Prospects for peacemaking have brightened since Mr Abbas succeeded Mr Arafat on a platform of non-violence and persuaded militants to abide by a de facto truce.

Israel's prisoner release, its biggest since freeing 800 in 1996, was part of a package of confidence-building measures Mr Abbas agreed with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at a February 8 summit in Egypt.

But the mood of celebration was tempered by Palestinian demands for even larger prisoner releases to help Mr Abbas get armed groups to formalise the ceasefire he reached with Mr Sharon.

Israel still holds about 8,000 prisoners and says it will free 400 after a joint committee with the Palestinians finalises a roster.