BEIJING - China pledged support on Tuesday for international efforts to resume negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians at an early date.

"It is a key period now for the peace process in the Middle East," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said at a daily press briefing, adding China hopes that all parties concerned make coordinated efforts to remove barriers and create conditions for the resumption of the talks.

Reports say that Middle East Quartet mediators will hold a meeting in Jerusalem on October 26 with Israeli and Palestinian officials to discuss the resumption of direct negotiations. The Quartet comprises the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia.

Direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks became stalled in September 2010, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to freeze settlement construction on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem.

During the briefing, Liu also welcomed the implementation of a prisoner-swap deal between the two sides.

Israeli authorities on Tuesday morning began releasing Arab and Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held by the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas since 2006.

According to a deal reached last week between Israel and Hamas, Israel will release a total of 1,027 Palestinian and Arab prisoners in exchange for Shalit, with the first group of 477 prisoners being released on Tuesday.

The spokesman said the implementation of the deal will help to ease tensions between the two sides, adding that China appreciates the efforts made by Egypt and other parties in the process.

"We hope that the Israelis and the Palestinians will continue taking constructive measures to ease the situation, reduce disputes and resume the Israeli-Palestinian talks at an early date," he said.