GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Arab revolutions were inspired by the suffering of the masses, Gaza prime minister Ismail Haniyeh said Friday.

The Gaza PM made the comments during the opening ceremony of Ramadan in a Gaza mosque.

Palestine was one of the most important influences on the uprisings which swept the Arab world, he said.

The Hamas leader called on all the Palestinian people and Islamic nations to intensify their prayers during the holy month and to keep Palestinian prisoners in their thoughts.

He congratulated Aziz Dweik on his recent release from an Israeli jail.

Israeli forces detained the parliament speaker in January at the Jabaa checkpoint while he was leaving Ramallah. He was placed in Israel's "administrative detention" custody for six months.