Special to WorldTribune.com

RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority has been accused of harassing
Hamas prisoners released by Israel.

The PA has not confirmed the Hamas report. Israel has released 477 Palestinians, most of them transferred to the Gaza Strip, and plans another release of 550 in December.

The Hamas prisoner release is said to have bolstered the Islamist
movement in the West Bank. Officials said PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has been
pressed by
Egypt and other Arab countries to implement a reconciliation deal with Hamas
signed in May.

Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari, a key negotiator in the prisoner
release, said he was prepared to order the abduction of additional Israelis.
Jabari said Hamas’ goal was to win the release of an estimated 7,500
Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

“We will continue to abduct Israeli soldiers and officers as long as
there are Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails,” Jabari said. “Izzedin
Kassam Brigades [Hamas military wing] has been committed to empty the
Israeli jails of all prisoners regardless of their political positions or
ideology.”

A senior Hamas representative said PA security forces were searching and
interrogating some of the 110 Hamas prisoners released by Israel to the West
Bank on Oct. 18. Palestinian Legislative Council member Fathi Al Qarawi said
both the released prisoners as well as their families were sumoned for
questioning.

“We call on the PA stop the harassment and to exploit the prisoner deal
to achieve Palestinian national unity,” Al Qarawi said.

In a statement on Oct. 23, Al Qarawi said the released Hamas inmates
refused to undergo interrogation at PA security facilities. The legislator
said he supported the Hamas refusal to cooperate with the PA.

“What happened is genuine to the Palestinian people because unity is
something deep-rooted in Palestinian society,” Al Qarawi said. “Other things
that are happening such as political arrests and repression are dissonant.”

  Hamas military chief: ‘We will continue to abduct Israeli soldiers’, Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority