Al QUDS, Sept 23: Israel approved on Sunday the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to President Mahmud Abbas for Ramazan amid efforts to jumpstart the peace process.

The prisoners were all members of Fatah party from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and were being freed after assurances given by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in talks with Mr Abbas in recent weeks, officials said.

“This is a regular gesture which we have traditionally done and they will be released in accordance with existing criteria,” Mr Olmert said.

Palestinians welcomed the decision, but said Israel must do more to support the moderate Palestinian leadership headed by Mr Abbas.

None of those to be released were involved in attacks that killed Israelis and all had at least one year left to serve, officials said.

The Israeli cabinet voted to release the prisoners -- out of the more than 11,000 currently held by Israel -- during its weekly meeting.

The list of prisoners will now need to be approved by a ministerial commission that will include members of the Shin Beth internal security services, and once it is made public there will be a 48-hour period in which Israelis can lodge appeals against the release of specific prisoners.

The announcement came as the four main sponsors of the Middle East peace process — the so-called Quartet — were to meet at the United Nations to prepare for a US-sponsored peace conference expected in November.

Israeli Environment Minister Gideon Ezra told public radio that the latest prisoner release “would favour the re-start of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.”

But Eli Yishai, Trade Minister and a member of the Shas party who voted against the release, said that “previous gestures proved themselves to be futile.”—AFP