The Hamas Movement categorically denied Saturday the allegations that the PA security apparatuses had released all political prisoners in occupied West Bank, noting that out of more than 200 detainees in PA jails, only four were released.

In an exclusive statement to the PIC, Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, stated that the continued detention of citizens affiliated with the Movement makes the release of four detainees useless and a mere media stunt, adding that the Movement will not consider such a step (as a positive gesture) unless the PA releases all detainees.

Ironically, more West Bank citizens were arrested after PA chief Mahmoud Abbas alleged that he ordered the release of all prisoners in his jails, where his security apparatuses kidnapped Friday Sheikh Riyadh Walweel, a prominent Hamas leader, and Dr. Mohamed Al-Masri, a heart specialist.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera satellite channel following his release, Dr. Mohamed Ghazal, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said Friday that a great injustice was being inflicted on the Palestinian citizens in the West Bank, pointing out that a very small number of political prisoners were released from PA jails.

Dr. Ghazal underlined that a large number of political prisoners are still behind bars in PA jails, calling for releasing them to end the state of tension in both Gaza and the West Bank.

The Hamas leader stressed that the Palestinian people in the West Bank are tired of the erosion of freedoms there, adding that the only solution to the crisis is to give them freedom.

He also pointed out that a large number of those detained in the West Bank are not affiliated with Hamas and have nothing to do with it and the PA security apparatuses arrested them either because they wore beards or because of personal animosities.

Palestinian medical sources told the PIC reporter that Dr. Raed Na'irat, the head of the political science department at the Najah university in Nablus, suffered fractures in his nose and bruises in the head and limbs as a result of the use of beating and torture during his illegal detention.