Israeli Authorities Release of 74 Palestinian Prisoners

Israeli authorities released today 74 Palestinian prisoners including Parliament Member and Hamas leader Sheikh Hassan Youssuf who had been detained in Israeli prisons for six years. Hassan Youssuf was elected as member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) for Hamas in 2006 though at the time of his election he was under Israeli detention. In a statement after his release Youssuf said the message of prisoners is the need for unity and the application of the reconciliation agreement on the ground in order to unite the efforts of the Palestinian people against Israeli occupation and its measures. He stressed that detainees in prisons are passing through difficult circumstances saying their conditions were deteriorating from bad to worse in the shadow of the Israeli occupation authorities harsh measures against them and the successive laws that usurp their rights. Israeli is expected to release in the coming days 200 Palestinian prisoners after the expiry of their prison terms.