The officials said Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit's Wednesday meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert could affect whether the Israeli leader orders the release of Palestinian prisoners as a show of goodwill to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas before the Muslim Id al-Adha festival, The Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday. The foreign minister is expected to urge Olmert to release the prisoners, the officials said.

Gheit, who is expected to arrive in Jerusalem Wednesday for the meeting, is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni; Defense Minister Amir Peretz; Opposition Leader Binyamin Netanyahu; Peretz's Labor rival, Ami Ayalon; and Meretz head Yossi Beilin.

Olmert is scheduled to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Jan. 4.