Israel hands over Palestinian militants' remains
Reuters
2012-05-31
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Israel transfers the remains of dozens of Palestinian militants to officials in the West Bank.
They said they hoped the move will help restart peace talks that collapsed in 2010.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, YIGAL PALMOR SAYING:
"We have decided on this measure for humanitarian reasons. This is a measure intended to build confidence. It is a good will measure, and we hope it will be expected as such. Our hope is still to renew negotiations with the Palestinians without any pre-conditions as soon as possible."
The militants had been buried, some of them for decades, in a desolate Israeli military cemetery for so-called 'enemy combatants' in the occupied West Bank.
The remains of 80 Palestinians were handed over to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, and 11 bodies are slated for transfer to the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Authority and Hamas both planned official memorial ceremonies for the militants, several of whom were suicide bombers.
Sarah Sheffer, Reuters
They said they hoped the move will help restart peace talks that collapsed in 2010.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, YIGAL PALMOR SAYING:
"We have decided on this measure for humanitarian reasons. This is a measure intended to build confidence. It is a good will measure, and we hope it will be expected as such. Our hope is still to renew negotiations with the Palestinians without any pre-conditions as soon as possible."
The militants had been buried, some of them for decades, in a desolate Israeli military cemetery for so-called 'enemy combatants' in the occupied West Bank.
The remains of 80 Palestinians were handed over to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, and 11 bodies are slated for transfer to the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Authority and Hamas both planned official memorial ceremonies for the militants, several of whom were suicide bombers.
Sarah Sheffer, Reuters
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