Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he plans to release 250 jailed members of the Fatah movement led by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Middle East leaders will meet in Egypt on Monday seeking to bolster Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and his new Western-backed cabinet after the bloody seizure of the Gaza Strip by Hamas.

Israel’s prime minister on Monday announced plans to release 250 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and promised to improve life in the West Bank in an attempt to boost Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after the militant group Hamas’ takeover in Gaza.