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