Next Israel-Palestine prisoner swap in 2 weeks

The second phase of the prisoner exchange deal, which will see the release of another 550 Palestinian prisoners, will be completed in the next two weeks, according to Yediot Aharonot. Yediot said that sources familiar with the issue stated officials in Jerusalem are seeking to link the upcoming prisoner release to a previous Israeli pledge to the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whereby Israel will release Fatah detainees rather than Hamas prisoners. Yediot referred to Abbas's statement, in recent weeks, when he said that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged to release Fatah prisoners following the completion of the Gilad Shalit release deal, as not to boost Hamas' status among the Palestinian public in the wake of the swap. It also mentioned that senior Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat recently said that Olmert agreed to testify before the international Quartet that he pledged to free the prisoners following the Shalit swap. Meanwhile, Hamas' prisoner affairs minister, Saleh Aruri said that his movement was assured by Egypt that the second phase of the prisoner exchange deal will be completed by December 18, precisely two months after the first part of the Israel-Hamas swap.