Palestinian police in the autonomous area of Jericho in the West Bank refused Wednesday to accept 220 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons.
The prisoners, all of whom were residents of the territories still administered by Israel, had agreed to remain within the borders of Jericho until the end of their prison terms, an Israeli request justified under the terms of the agreement signed last month in Cairo for implementing Palestinian self-rule.
Israel Defence Force sources denied a claim by Palestinian security chief Jibril Rajoub that the prisoners had refused to sign a declaration that they would refrain from taking up arms against the peace process.
According to IDF sources, the prisoners had signed the declaration, but Palestinian authorities in Jericho had refused to accept them, claiming the area was already overcrowded.
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