The deposed Hamas government in the Gaza Strip on Monday announced it would free 20 prisoners loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a goodwill gesture.

A statement issued by the Hamas interior ministry said Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya made the decision on the eve of a Muslim feast marking Prophet Mohammad's ascension that falls on Monday this year.

Meanwhile, Sami Nofal, director of Gaza central prison, told Xinhua that "Haneya's decision is going to implemented today and 20 Fatah prisoners would be freed."

Abbas's Fatah movement, which holds sway in the West Bank, accuses the Islamic Hamas movement of holding hundreds of its activists for political backgrounds. Hamas also says pro-Abbas forces pursue its supporters in the West Bank.

The two parties have been cracking down on their political opponents since Hamas routed pro-Abbas Fatah-dominated security forces in deadly Gaza clashes in 2007.

The politically-motivated arrests are considered one of the obstacles obstructing Egypt's efforts to broker a reconciliation and a power-sharing deal between Hamas and Fatah.

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2009)