The presidents of Poland and Israel will take part in the 30th International March of the Living tribute to Holocaust victims at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau German Nazi death camp, the Polish president's office said in a statement.

Entrance to the former Auschwitz death camp with the infamous "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work sets you free) sign.

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, which falls on April 12 this year, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will walk the three-kilometre route from Auschwitz's infamous gate to the crematoria at Birkenau along with thousands of young people.

The presidents are also to hold a meeting before the march after bilateral ties were strained earlier this year.

The annual Holocaust education project sees thousands of Jewish students from all over the world flock to southern Poland "to examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hatred," the event's organiser said.

The students visit Jewish cemeteries and the sites of death camps which were established by the Germans on occupied Polish territory during World War II, and learn about the history of Polish Jews and Polish recipients of Righteous among the Nations medals for saving Jews during the war.

Over 1.1 million people perished at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, mostly European Jews, but also Poles, Roma, Soviet POWs and people of other nationalities.

Since its inception in 1988, more than 260,000 people from 52 countries have marched from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Polish-Israeli ties became strained when the Polish parliament earlier this year passed a bill which could impose a jail term on anyone who accused Poland of being complicit in Nazi German crimes during World War II.

Polish President Andrzej Duda later signed the bill into law while also referring it to the Constitutional Tribunal for review.

In Poland, the new rules were seen as a way of fighting the use of the phrase "Polish death camps", which many said implies the country's involvement in the Holocaust.

But commentators have said that Israel was concerned that the new law could mean penalties for anyone who criticised individual Poles' role in the Holocaust.

Israeli ambassador to Poland Anna Azari said that in Israel the law "is seen as creating a possibility of punishment for Holocaust survivors' testimony."

rokurator Generalny wnosi w stanowisku złożonym właśnie do Trybunału Konstytucyjnego o uznanie za niekonstytucyjny przepisu pozwalającego prowadzić śledztwa i procesy za pomówienia Polski o współudział w zbrodniach wojennych za granicą.

Polish Prosecutor General Zbigniew Ziobro, who also serves as the country's justice minister, asked the Constitutional Tribunal to deem part of the new law unconstitutional because it allows people outside of Poland to be investigated and tried for accusing the country of being jointly responsible for war crimes. (vb/pk)