GAZA CITY, 24 September 2007 — The Israeli Cabinet approved yesterday the release of 90 more Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to President Mahmoud Abbas for the holy month of Ramadan. Sixteen ministers supported the proposal and six voted against.

The decision still needs to be granted final approval by a ministerial committee headed by Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert. Once the list of names is approved, a 48-hour waiting period will begin, during which objections by Israeli public can be made. Should no significant delays occur, the 90 prisoners are expected to be released tomorrow.

The original proposal included the names of 100 prisoners, but 10 were removed from the list because they did not meet the criteria for release set by the Israeli government.

The prisoners slated to be released are members of the Palestinian groups Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). None of them is a member of Hamas or Islamic Jihad, and all are considered without “blood on their hands” meaning they were not directly involved in the killing of Israelis.

Olmert stated that the release would not harm the deal to free abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, because the prisoners who will be freed were not on the list presented by Hamas.

“This is a gesture that has been accepted in the past. The prisoners will be freed according to criteria that already exist,” the Israeli radio quoted him as saying.

Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai, who opposed the deal, said that “the previous gestures have proved to be hollow gestures. I backed the gradual transfer of funds to the Palestinians in order to test its efficiency, but it proved ineffective.”

“We should be looking into moves that promote peace, not moves that delay the calm,” he added.

The move follows a request by Abbas during a meeting with Olmert two weeks ago. During the meeting, Olmert promised to release prisoners to shore up support among Palestinians for Abbas, although the exact number was not discussed.

Israel ‘s last goodwill gesture to Abbas included the release of 255, from about 11,000 prisoners held in Israeli jails, in July, a move Olmert committed to during a regional summit in Sharm El-Sheikh last June.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minster of Prisoners Affairs, Ziad Abu Ain, said that the Palestinian Authority was dissatisfied with the list.

Abu Ain said: “Although we will welcome the release of any prisoner but this list is a unilateral one and is not serving the Palestinian national interest. It is not serving the criteria of the Palestinians which say that prisoners of long sentences should be released.”

“There are 64 prisoners in Israeli jails who have been there over 20 years including Said Al-Ataba who has been in Israeli jail for 31 years. There are children, women and ill prisoners.” Abu Ain said that “the Israeli list includes only prisoners who have been in jail for about one year, and at most eight years.”

In another development, Israel authorized the deployment of 500 Palestinian policemen in the West Bank city of Nablus to enforce law and order in the city.

According to Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot, the decision has been concluded during a meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak as a step toward increasing security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli security sources said that Palestinian police will be deployed after Israeli forces conclude its arrest campaign of “Palestinian wanted gunmen” in the city.

Israel prevented the deployment of Palestinian security forces since the beginning of second Intifada in 2000.

Meanwhile, Palestinian police arrested a prominent Hamas preacher in the West Bank yesterday as a part of its continuing crackdown on the group.

Sheikh Maher Kharas, called the “White Lion” by supporters, is one of Hamas’ most prominent members in the West Bank.

He was snatched by pro-Fatah Palestinian intelligence officials as he traveled in Nablus, a Hamas spokesman said. The city is considered a stronghold of Hamas, which is locked in a bitter power struggle with rival group Fatah.

— With input from agencies