President Abbas urges releasing Palestinian prisoners

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received US National Security Advisor Susan Rice and her delegation here Thursday night. During the meeting he highlighted the urgency of releasing the Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel before the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu-Redina said in a press release. The meeting reviewed the status quo of the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks and the Israeli decision to put the talks on hold, Abu-Redina said. President Abbas urged halting the illegitimate Jewish settlement expansion while reaffirming Palestine's commitment to the peace process, he pointed out. The spokesman added that Rice raised several suggestions on how to resume and push forward the peace negotiations. In Washington, a White House readout of the meeting said that Rice "underscored that while we have come to a pause in the parties' talks, the United States believes the only way to achieve lasting peace is through direct negotiations that lead to two viable, independent states living side-by-side in peace and security." She further stressed "the importance of each side managing the current situation in a way that reduces tensions and preserves space to pursue a two-state solution when both sides are prepared to take the decisions necessary to resume substantive negotiations." While the readout makes no mention of Hamas or the recent unification agreement between the governing parties in Gaza and the West Bank, Rice emphasized that "any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence, recognition of the State of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations between the parties." Rice then thanked Abbas for his "longstanding commitment to these principles and his public statements that any government that is formed will be his government and represent his policies." She added that the U.S. will maintain its "strong support for the continued development of Palestinian Authority institutions that deliver effectively for the Palestinian people, as well as the U.S. commitment to support economic development and opportunity for the Palestinian people." The White House noted that earlier in the day, Rice met with Palestinian youth at the U.S. consulate to hear their views about their future