Pressing Hamas

        A ministerial committee tasked with looking into ways of adopting sanctions against Hamas and Islamic Jihad prisoners held its first meeting Wednesday afternoon. Among other proposals, committee members raised the option of lowering the sums of money handed over to security prisoners, minimizing their exposure to television and radio, reducing the number of visits they are entitled to, preventing any physical contact with their visitors, and minimizing their educational opportunities. The committee, headed by Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, also raised the possibility of limiting the goods transferred into the Gaza Strip, but not in a manner that would prompt a humanitarian crisis. During the session, committee members were briefed on the various rights granted to security detainees in Israeli prisons. The committee then decided to establish a professional team headed by an attorney general representative that would work in conjunction with the Prison Service, Shin Bet, and IDF in order to minimize the privileges granted to Hamas and Islamic Jihad prisoners at this time. (23,00)