Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asked Defense Minister Benny Gantz for the release of 25 Palestinian security prisoners during their meeting a month ago at the Israeli leader's home.
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The detainees in question, according to a report in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper, are Fatah veterans who were imprisoned in Israel before the signing of the Oslo Accords, as well as sick prisoners.
According to the report, Gantz did not respond positively or negatively to the request and assured the Palestinian leader that "the matter would be investigated."
In late December, a delegation of senior Palestinian officials led by Abbas came to discuss security and economic issues at Gantz's residence in Rosh Ha'ayin, near Tel Aviv, marking the Palestinian president's first official visit to Israel in years.
The Defense Ministry said it had approved an advance payment to the PA of NIS 100 million ($31.37 million) in taxes collected on its behalf by Israel, 600 additional permits allowing businessmen to cross to the Israeli side, and the regularization of 6,000 additional Palestinians living in an area of Judea and Samaria under Israeli control.
Israel said the measure, which prevents the eviction of Palestinian families, was a humanitarian gesture.
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According to Israel Hayom sources who were privy to what unfolded in the meeting, Gantz, for his part, pressured Abbas to end the proceedings launched by the PA against Israel in the International Criminal Court, but the Palestinian leader did not provide a definite answer. According to a separate report in the Palestinian media on Wednesday, Abbas said he would agree to abort this legal campaign if Israel made various concessions, but Israel Hayom later learned that this report was not true.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
