Twenty-six Palestinian prisoners, some held in Israeli jails for more than two decades, were released to their families in a "gesture of good faith" by Israel's government.

But critics say Tuesday's move should have been made decades ago under the Oslo Accords, and that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is milking the release for its own political gain.

It was the second batch of detainees freed since the re-start of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in July, part of the "104 pre-Oslo prisoners" to be let go by Israel contingent on the progress of peace talks.

The release was aimed at facilitating peace negotiations, which US Secretary of State John Kerry recently described as the last chance to save the two-state solution.

Yet the discharge is one of few positive developments, as Palestinians have become increasingly disillusioned with negotiations that have done nothing to halt Israeli settlement expansion, curb violence, or guarantee the release of the more than 5,000 prisoners who remain in Israeli jails.

Since Kerry announced the return to negotiations on July 19, there have been at least 1,100 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army. On October 18, dozens were arrested in Hebron and Nablus, including two from the Palestinian Legislative Council.

'Wanted man'

Sabih Abed Hammed Borhan spoke about the emotions he felt upon hearing he would be freed as one of 26 prisoners released in August.

"The feeling cannot be described … hope, thankfulness, victory. But also sadness for all those still in prison," he said in an interview that month.

Borhan was serving five life sentences on murder charges allegedly committed during the First Intifada, but was released soon after the Oslo deal. He began working for the Palestinian Authority, traveling throughout the West Bank and to Jordan three times in an official capacity.

Then, during the Second Intifada, he was re-arrested for being a "wanted man".

Borhan said he was held for interrogation for 115 days, accused of kidnapping Israeli soldiers - the evidence of which he never saw - and finally sentenced to six life terms.

"They accused me of kidnapping two Israeli soldiers in 1995. But they know that had I done that, I couldn't have been working in the PA and traveling freely through their checkpoints every day for years," Borhan said.

He described being tied up for three days, only freed to eat and go to the toilet. "The conditions in prison were very difficult. I was not allowed to see my family, my wife, my sons for almost three years," said Borhan.

A Palestinian official praised the move, but said it was far too late.

"We welcome the release of our political prisoners, all of whom should have been released during the Oslo agreement more than 20 years ago," Ziad abu Ein, deputy minister of prisoner affairs told, Al Jazeera. "This can only help the peace talks and the realization of an agreement based on the two-state solution."

Political gain?

The Oslo Accords, signed by Israel and Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1993, stipulated the release of all Palestinian detainees held by Israel. However, that has not come to fruition.

"[The] 104 pre-Oslo prisoners were slated to be released as a precondition in previous negotiations that Israel reneged on," said prisoner support and human rights organization Addameer.

Sahar Francis, director of Addameer, told Al Jazeera: "Prisoner releases are of central importance toward a lasting peace. Yet Israel continued to treat the issues as a public relations opportunity and a means to achieve political gains."

The Palestinian Authority has also been criticized for capitalizing politically by turning each release into an achievement by President Mahmud Abbas, the PA, and the negotiations themselves.

Hamas, as well as other political parties in the West Bank, have come out strongly against the US-brokered peace talks.

"Instead of settling for the promise of prisoners releases that have been reneged on for over 20 years, the PA must demand a change in Israeli policy regarding Palestinian prisoners - the immediate halt to arbitrary detention policies, arrests of young children and the egregious treatment of the Palestinian prisoners, including torture, medical negligence and inhumane living conditions," Addameer said in a statement to Al Jazeera.

Ahmed - a former prisoner who asked that his surname not be published for his own safety - attended the nighttime reception in Ramallah after the first prisoner release in August.

"It seemed more like a political rally for Fatah than a celebration of the men's freedom. This [the prisoner release] is nothing compared to the thousands that remain inside," he said.

Since the Oslo agreement there have been numerous high-profile prisoner releases with more than 23,000 freed since 1993. Yet during this same period, 80,000 Palestinians have been arrested.

"Historically speaking, this policy of prisoners' releases has proven that it is not truly a 'goodwill gesture' to build trust during negotiations," said Francis from the Addameer group. "It is rather used as a tool by the Israeli government to manipulate the prisoners' issues and distract from their cores issues and demands."

Those core issues include: house demolitions, the separation wall, the expansion of Jewish settlements, the status of East Jerusalem, Palestinian right of return, final borders for the Two State Solution, and the release of all political prisoners, Francis said.
Regardless of the sour mood surrounding peace negotiations, Palestinians had reason to celebrate on Tuesday. As Deputy Minister of Palestinian Prisoners Ziad abu Ein said, "We welcome them home, all of them. It has been far too long."

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (C) welcomes Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli prisons in the West Bank city of Ramallah early October 30, 2013.

Source: Aljazeera.com