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NABLUS (Ma’an) -- Israeli authorities released a Hamas-affiliated lawmaker on Thursday after he was held without charge for 16 months.

Ahmad al-Hajj Ali 74, was detained by Israeli forces in June 2011, from his home in Ein Beit El-Mai refugee camp west of Nablus.

He was held in administrative detention, and was on hunger strike for 18 days in March to protest his custody, according to prisoners groups.

The Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform party criticized Israeli authorities for detaining its political representatives.

Al-Hajj Ali was previously detained in December 2007 and released in April 2009 after serving 17 months in administrative detention in Israeli jails.

There are currently 250 Palestinians held without charge by Israel, including eight MPs, according to latest statistics by prisoners group Addameer.