A day after Hamas and Fatah agreed to establish a national unity government, a military court decided Tuesday to release 18 Hamas lawmakers pending an appeal, in what a senior Palestinian Authority official in Ramallah claimed was part of a deal that would ultimately lead to the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Military Judge Maj. Ronen Atzmon decided to release the Hamas men on NIS 25,000 bail each. The 18 will still stand trial for illegal membership in the Hamas terror organization. According to the ruling, however, they could spend the duration of the trial at home. Prosecutors appealed the ruling and the 18 are to remain in custody until the court reaches a final decision on Thursday. "It's no coincidence that the Hamas officials are being released a day after the agreement to form a national unity government," the PA official told The Jerusalem Post.
On Monday, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh announced in Gaza City that they had reached an agreement to form a unity government on the basis of a political program that implicitly recognizes Israel's right to exist. "President Abbas received assurances from Israel, the US and other European countries that the Hamas leaders would be released shortly after the agreement," the official said. "These assurances convinced Hamas to accept the unity government idea."