Hamas to release 36 prisoners

The government in Gaza will free 36 prisoners to celebrate the arrival of the 11th Miles of Smiles aid convoy, officials said Wednesday. The foreign minister ordered the release of 36 inmates who have served two-thirds of their sentences and have a record of good behavior in jail, prisons director Hoqoqi Nasser Suleiman said in a statement. "We will take all steps to completely close their files," he added. The Hamas-led government has come under international criticism over its execution on Saturday of three prisoners. The interior ministry announced Saturday that two convicted murderers and a man found guilty of treason were hanged early that morning. At least 11 inmates have been executed in Gaza since Hamas took control in 2007. The European Union condemned the executions and urged the Gaza government to "comply with the de facto moratorium on executions put in place by the Palestinian Authority." Human Rights Watch also called on Hamas to stop executions. “The Hamas government’s stated commitment to justice should include ending the death penalty, which makes worse the well documented injustices of Gaza's courts," said regional HRW director Sarah Leah Whitson. "Rather than executing prisoners, Hamas should focus on reforming its justice system."