BRIZE NORTON AIR BASE (England), July 27: Israel will free 210 Palestinian militants as part of a wider release of 540 prisoners, a senior official accompanying Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Washington said on Sunday.

It was the first time that Israel had issued detailed figures of its planned prisoner release which is intended to boost a US-backed peace plan.

An official travelling with Sharon to Washington, where he is to meet US President George Bush on Tuesday, told reporters aboard the plane that the prisoner release “should happen in the coming week”.

The 540 prisoners slated for release comprise 210 members of Islamic groups, 210 members of President Yasser Arafat’s Fatah faction, and 120 Palestinians jailed on criminal offences. Officials will meet in the coming days to finalize the list of names.

“This is a risk we are willing to take,” Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said before the cabinet approved the release in a meeting in Jerusalem before Sharon’s departure.

None of the prisoners were involved in attacks on Israelis, officials said.

In another gesture intended to smooth Mr Sharon’s visit, troops removed checkpoints near Ramallah and Al Khalil, opening the road to more than 100 villages for the first time since a Palestinian uprising for statehood began.

Mr Sharon had until now balked at freeing any militants but wants to improve the standing of Mr Abbas, better known as Abu Mazen, under pressure from the militants with whom he negotiated a truce last month.

“The main aim here is to strengthen Abu Mazen’s standing,” one source said.—Reuters