The demonstrators said they expected such releases as part of the Israeli-Palestinian interim peace deal signed in Washington last month.

One group of protesters tried to force their way into the home of Yasser Arafat's deputy, Mahmud Abbas, but were stopped by Palestinian police.

The demonstrators, led by the families of inmates in Israeli jails, then marched to Mr Arafat's home, where they issued an appeal for prisoner releases to be put at the top of the negotiating agenda with Israel.

Israel released 250 prisoners last Friday

Israel freed 250 prisoners last week, but the Palestinians have complained that 150 of them were common criminals, not political detainees jailed for anti-Israeli activities.

Prisoner releases were not mentioned in the text of the agreement but there was said to have been a verbal understanding to free 750 of some 3,000 prisoners over a period of 12 weeks.

The Israeli Government says it will not release any prisoners who belong to militant Islamic groups or who have killed Israeli citizens.

Binyamin Netanyahu: "I never committed to release murderers"

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office said the peace accord did not stipulate that Israel should free prisoners with Jewish "blood on their hands".

But the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, said the release of common criminals violated the spirit of the Wye peace accord.

BBC Jerusalem Correspondent Lyse Doucet says that for many Palestinians, freedom for prisoners is one of the most emotional, most important elements of making peace with Israel.

Hunger strike

On Sunday, Palestinian prisoners at Israel's Meggido jail began a hunger strike to protest at Israel's refusal to release them.

They are also accusing the Palestinian Authority of neglecting their cause.

Prisoners belonging to Mr Arafat's mainstream Fatah faction - which led the armed struggle against Israel from 1965 and is now the backbone of the Palestinian Authority - threatened to stop backing peace moves if they were not released.