Islam Times - Palestinians mark 38th anniversary of Prisoners Day

Islam Times - Thousands of Palestinians rallied in the Gaza strip to mark the 38th anniversary of Palestinian Prisoners Day.

Prisoners Day marks the first prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Palestinians in 1974.

Hamas government called on the international community to help Palestinian prisoners.

Rallies were also held around the world in solidarity with thousands of Palestinian political prisoners who still languish in Israeli prisons. Many of them have been held without charge or trial.

A swap deal between Hamas and Israel in late 2011 saw the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit.

However, thousand of others are still in Israel’s prisons, among them 27 members (double-check this) of the Palestinian legislative council.

According to prisoners' advocacy groups, over 700,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel since the beginning of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1967.