Israel on Monday released six lawmakers of the Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement, who are residents of East Jerusalem and the West Bank and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Hamas sources said.

The sources said that the six Hamas lawmakers, two residents of east Jerusalem, three from Hebron and one from Bethlehem, were released from Israeli prisons as they ended their 42-month sentences.

On Sunday, Israel also released a Hamas lawmaker who ended his two years' imprisonment.

Israel had detained 46 Hamas lawmakers in the West Bank in response to the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in Gaza in July 2006.

Gaza-based Hamas lawmaker Mushit al-Masri told reporters in comment to the release of the seven lawmakers that there is no alternative to the freedom of Hamas lawmakers.

"Their kidnapping for around three years in the Israeli occupation's jails was barbarian and illegal. Their detention was a great crime against humanity," said al-Masri, who called for the release of the entire imprisoned lawmakers.

The PLC, the parliament of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is dominated by Hamas movement which won the Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006. Hamas is represented by 74 seats out 132 in the parliament.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2009)