The Israeli cabinet approved Sunday a release of some 90 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Government spokesman David Baker confirmed the approval to Xinhua, saying 16 ministers supported the proposal and six voted against.
All the prisoners who will be released would mostly be Fatah members and the list only includes prisoners who have not been involved in the murder of Israelis, Baker told Xinhua.
The decision still needs to be granted final approval by a ministerial committee headed by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
If the process goes ahead without any major legal challenges, the prisoners could be freed by Tuesday evening, local daily Jerusalem Post reported.
"This is a gesture that has been accepted in the past. The prisoners will be freed according to criteria that already exist," the daily also quoted Olmert as saying.
Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, who opposed the prisoner release, said that "(Israel) is working against terror, paying the price for terror, and nevertheless making a gesture towards the Palestinians."
Olmert has declared his willingness to release a limited number of the roughly 11,000 Palestinian prisoners Israel holds, in an effort to shore up Abbas who has been in power struggle with Hamas which has seized control in the Gaza Strip since June.
Last week, Olmert told Kadima members that he intended to propose releasing prisoners who are not serving time for wounding or killing Israelis. "That is the only way to signal to Palestinian society that peacemaking and its culmination will yield results."
Israel released more than 250 prisoners in July.
Source: Xinhua
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