Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has pledged to free more security prisoners affiliated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement following the latest round of bi-lateral talks between the two leaders in Olmert's Jerusalem residence, Wednesday.

"As a gesture to Abbas, we will be facilitating the release of prisoners at the end of the month, above and beyond what has been done in previous hostage negotiations," said the prime minister's spokesman Mark Regev .

According to another official, Abbas has been complaining to the US and Europeans for months that Israel was "shooting him in the foot" by freeing prisoners to Hamas and Hizballah, but not to his embattled Fatah movement. "This is the result of the pressure," said the official.

Meanwhile, Israel has released three Hamas officials from Israeli jail this week: Hamas cabinet minister Issa Ja’bari, Hamas finance minister Omar Abdel Razzak, and Hamas legislator Muna Mansour. PA officials in Ramallah believe that this week's release may be part of a "secret deal" between Hamas and Israel aimed at facilitating talks over the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, according to The Jerusalem Post.

"We don't believe that the three were released by coincidence," said the officials. "Apparently they were released to pave the way for agreement on a prisoner exchange."