Jerusalem: Israel`s President says he has approved the release of an ailing Palestinian prisoner on humanitarian grounds.
Shimon Peres noted in a statement that Mohammed al-Taj has served two-thirds of a 14-year sentence. It described al-Taj as a "security prisoner", a term used for those convicted of involvement in violence against Israelis.
"The decision to release him was taken on humanitarian grounds as the prisoner was ill with a serious medical condition," the statement said. It gave no further details.
The President`s decision comes weeks after another security prisoner died of cancer while in Israeli custody. The death sparked violent anti-Israel demonstrations in the West Bank, where Palestinian prisoners are honoured as heroes fighting Israeli occupation.
PTI
