Some 2,400 Palestinians in jails across Israel have gone on hunger strike to demand the release of political detainees.

BBC's Jeremy Bowen: Israel insists that it will not release prisoners locked up for political violence

But in an interview with international news agencies on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said he had already made it clear that he would not free Palestinian prisoners "with blood on their hands" and the Palestinians already knew that.

He also said that he would not transfer any more land to Palestinian control until Mr Arafat agreed with Israel's version on prisoner releases.

Jeremy Bowen in Jerusalem: "Yasser Arafat reacted scornfully."

He added that Mr Arafat would also have to drop plans to declare a Palestinian state next May.

Yasser Arafat reacted scornfully, saying Israel had no right to issue instructions to the Palestinians.

Clinton visit planned

The hunger strike is part of a campaign of protest leading up to United States President Bill Clinton's planned visit to Israel and Gaza in a week's time.

President Clinton is hoping to shore up the troubled Wye River peace accord, signed in October.

During negotiations for the interim agreement, Israel said it would release 750 Palestinians.

However, so far it has freed mainly petty thieves, not political prisoners.

Palestinian demands

The hunger strikers say that as part of the peace process Israel should release prisoners held for political activities against Israel or political violence, including murder.

"They have launched an unlimited hunger strike in a bid to leave the prisons where they continue to languish five years after the signing of the Oslo accords with Israel," said Palestinian Prisoner Affairs Minister Hisham Abdelrazek.

Families of the hunger strikers are also demonstrating

He said the prisoners had stopped eating solid food but were allowing themselves to drink water. Hundreds of prisoners held in Israeli army camps have also stopped eating.

The Union of Palestinian Prisoners, based in Gaza, has called on the population to unite with the hunger strikers by staging their own protests.

Arab journalist Maher Othman: Israelis are being unreasonable

Over the past few days there have been widespread demonstrations across the Palestinian territories to demand the release of the prisoners.

Israeli spokesman David Bar-Illan: "We are not going to release anyone with blood on their hands"

On Saturday, protests in several West Bank towns turned into violent clashes with Israeli troops, which left around 25 people injured.

Israeli troops fired tear gas and Palestinian officers fired rubber bullets as rioters threw stones and set fire to American flags.