Israel Releases Palestinian Prisoners for Wye Accord
(September 1999)
Israel released 199 Palestinian security prisoners
September 9, 1999, a day earlier than scheduled in a show of good faith to
get the peace process back on track. Later in the day, Israel was to hand
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat the
maps outlining the transfer of 7 percent of the West
Bank -- 160 square
miles -- to Palestinian civil control as agreed in the new timetable for implementing the Wye agreement. Israel also explicitly clarified that
a section of the territory to be transferred to Palestinian civilian
control will maintain the status of a nature reserve – in keeping with
all the restrictions, reservations and obligations set forth in the Wye River Memorandum.
Sources: AP, (9/9/99) and Israeli
Government Press Office |