Israeli Prime Minister to release prisoners

An Israeli government official says Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has agreed to release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners.

The move is intended as an overture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as the two sides try to move ahead on peace talks.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said that in a meeting between the two men in Paris on Sunday, Abbas brought up the issue of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.