After more than five years in a Palestinian jail, the Israeli soldier spoke of his relief as he was finally released.

He said the prisoners would be held in Palestinian jails, but British and American officials would monitor their detention.

"How can we meet Hani al-Hasan when there are political prisoners in Palestinian jails?"

He said in an interview in Jericho that no one in his right mind would prefer a Palestinian jail to an Israeli one.

Palestinian officials have replied that, by treaty, they are not obliged to extradite any suspect already held in a Palestinian jail.

He was referring to the Israeli coinage for what they see as the circulation of terrorists through Palestinian jails.

His statement followed the release of 20 members of Islamic fundamentalist groups from Palestinian jails.

Hundreds of Israeli political prisoners are not rotting in Palestinian jails.

When we aired a session that dealt with corruption in the Palestinian Authority I was arrested and held in a Palestinian jail for seven days.

The senior Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, remained in a Palestinian jail.