1.   And with every day, the prisoner issue has assumed greater importance.

2.   Since becoming prime minister in December, Bruton has sought to apply even pressure on the British on the prisoner issue and on Sinn Fein on decommissioning.

3.   The agreement on the prisoner issue had delayed the signing ceremony, originally set for Thursday.

4.   The prisoner issue is also difficult because the types of prisoners to be released was not specified in the original Wye memorandum.

5.   The prisoner issue became suddenly even more sensitive for Barak after a young Orthodox Jewish couple were found stabbed to death last weekend.

6.   The prisoner issue is a resonant one with high domestic political stakes for both Barak and Arafat.

7.   The third part of the plan involves the prisoner issue.

8.   PLO negotiator Nabil Shaath suggested that the Palestinians might not initial an overall agreement on the West Bank Friday unless the prisoner issue was resolved.

9.   PLO negotiator Nabil Shaath suggested that the Palestinians might not initial an overall agreement on the West Bank today unless the prisoner issue was resolved.

10.   Protests on the prisoner issue swept the West Bank, both in Israeli-controlled and Palestinian-controlled areas.