Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suggested today he could release some Palestinian prisoners as early as this week even though militants have yet to free an Israeli soldier held in Gaza.
Three senior Israeli cabinet ministers proposed at their weekly cabinet meeting that Israel release prisoners as a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before a Muslim holiday that starts later this week.
"The time has come for flexibility and generosity, and it (Israeli policy) could be different than what has been said in past meetings," Olmert said in response to the proposal, according to a cabinet source.
In years past, Israel has freed some Palestinian prisoners as a holiday gesture. But Olmert had ruled out any prisoner releases until Gaza militants freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured in a cross-border raid in June.
Israel has been under U.S. and European pressure to take steps to bolster Abbas after he called early elections against his Hamas rivals. Hamas controls the Palestinian government.