Israel approved on Sunday the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners in a bid to bolster President Mahmoud Abbas in his power struggle with Hamas Islamists who control the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported.
The prisoners, a fraction of the 11,000 Palestinians held, will be released in the occupied West Bank, where Abbas's government holds sway, before next month's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, officials said of the decision, which was approved 13 to 5 by Israel's cabinet.
Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had promised to free the prisoners earlier this month during a meeting with Abbas, who launched peace talks with Israel a year ago after Gaza's violent takeover by Hamas.
"This is a confidence-building measure," said Olmert spokesman Mark Regev.
He said Israel will release prisoners from the ranks of Abbas's secular Fatah faction and other non-Islamist groups.
Israel has not said whether it would consider freeing high profile Fatah inmates such as uprising leader Marwan Barghouthi, who is seen as a possible successor to Abbas as Palestinian president.
Nearly 200 prisoners were freed by Israel in August. Such releases are highly emotive for Palestinians, who regard prisoners as symbols of resistance to Israeli occupation.
U.S.-sponsored peace talks between Olmert and Abbas, rejected by Hamas, have shown little sign of progress.