International Day of Peace - Hebron

The International Day of Peace, also known as the World Peace Day, occurs annually on September 21. It is dedicated to peace, or specifically the absence of war, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone. It is observed by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples. The first year this holiday was celebrated was 1981. To inaugurate the day, the "Peace Bell" is rung at UN Headquarters.

The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents. It was given as a gift by the Diet of Japan, and is referred to as "a reminder of the human cost of war." The inscription on its side reads: "Long live absolute world peace.

A mother of Palestinian prisoner at an Israeli jail mourns during a protest on the International Day of Peace at the governor office in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on 21 September 2010.

More than 10,000 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli prisons, according to data released by the Palestinian central bureau of statistics. The UN observes September 21, as the International Peace Day.Photo By Najeh Hashlamoun.