Israel Releases One of the Jailed Palestinian Ministers

Palestinian Public Works and Housing Minister Abd Al-Rahman Zidan has been released from an Israeli jail. Zidan is one of dozens of Hamas members of the Palestinian government who were arrested and jailed by Israel since the kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit on June 25^th. Zidan’s arrest was one of the most recent, occurring on November 3^rd. Israeli officials declined to give a reason for Zidan’s release or confirm speculation that it was somehow related to diplomatic activity. Egyptian intelligence chief ‘Umar Suleiman was in Jerusalem at the time of Zidan’s release discussing the Shalit matter with Israeli officials. Israeli Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer told Army Radio after meeting with Suleiman that the Egyptian said Shalit’s release could come within three weeks.