JERUSALEM, Nov 30: The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners as a “goodwill gesture” to Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas amid violence around the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The move followed a pledge by acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during talks with Abbas on Nov 17, their first such meeting in two months.

Officials were not immediately able to give a breakdown of the vote in cabinet, which was not carried unanimously.

The names of those to be freed will now be drawn up by a special committee according to criteria which rule out the release of prisoners “with Jewish blood on their hands”.

Israelis will also be able to lodge objections to any candidates identified for release.

“President Abbas asked for the release of Palestinian prisoners and Olmert himself announced the Israeli government decision to free 250 of them early in December,” Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said.

He added that the Palestinian Authority “praised the Israeli decision and hopes it will one day apply to all the Palestinian prisoners.” A senior Israeli official has said that none of the prisoners to be freed belongs to Palestinian groups such as Hamas, which seized power in the Gaza Strip in June 2007.

In a similar move in August, Israel freed 198 Palestinian prisoners. More than 11,000 Palestinians are still held in Israeli prisons.—AFP