Olmert to ministers: Free 250 Palestinian prisoners

The government is scheduled on Sunday to discuss Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's proposal to free 250 Palestinian prisoners as goodwill gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid el-Adha. Olmert committed to Abbas Israel would do so at their last meeting two

weeks ago.

Olmert's aides expect the proposal to pass, despite the objection posed by several ministers. "Israel has made enough gestures to the Palestinians without having received anything in return. You don't have to free terrorists so long as there is no progress in the effort to free Gilad Shalit or the peace talks," said Minister Jacob Edery.

The Prime Minister's Office notes this is a routine gesture, made every year at Eid el-Adha. They believe the cabinet will approve the proposal, despite the fact that Israel made a similar gesture two months ago with the release of 198 Palestinian prisoners, two of whom were involved in the murder of Israeli citizens.

"There is no connection between the current gesture and the Shalit deal. This is about releasing prisoners belonging to the pragmatist Palestinian camp," Olmert's office said.

After the cabinet meeting Olmert will hold an expansive security discussion on the efforts to secure the

release of kidnapped soldiers Gilad Shalit.

Hamas' message to Israel will be communicated at the meeting, this following the recent visit to Cairo by the head of the Defense Ministry's Security-Diplomatic Bureau, Amos Gilad.

A senior diplomatic official said that at this point "there are no new mediators" involved in the talks. At this point there are also no new demands on Hamas' part in return for Shalit's freedom.

Hamas is demanding the release of some 1,400 Palestinian prisoners, 450 of these with blood on their hands. Israel has so far produced a list of 220 prisoners with blood of their hands it is willing to free in exchange for Shalit.