|
64 Hamas officials seized
29/06/2006 08:12 - (SA)
Ramallah - Israeli troops arrested 64 members of governing Palestinian party Hamas, including eight ministers, in a massive overnight operation, military sources said on Thursday.
The officials were arrested in a vast Israeli operation concentrated in Ramallah, the West Bank political capital, and the flashpoint cities Hebron and Jenin and occupied east Jerusalem, Israeli military sources said.
"This step was taken because Hamas has proven its involvement in terrorism, notably Sunday's attack in which two of our soldiers were killed and another kidnapped," said an Israeli official who refused to give a name.
'Will be brought to justice'
"We have no other choice when it comes to defending Israelis," the source said, denying Israel had any intention of using the Hamas officials as bargaining chips to secure the release of a teenage soldier abducted on Sunday.
Corporal Gilad Shalit, 19, was snatched by Palestinian militants, including members of the armed wing of Hamas who infiltrated Israel.
"The arrested Islamists will be brought to justice and we hope they will be detained a long time," the Israeli official said.
Israel 'launching an open war'
In response to the arrests, Hamas deputy parliament speaker Ahmed Bahar accused Israel of launching an "open war" to destroy his government.
Five cabinet ministers were rounded up from a hotel in Ramallah, blindfolded and handcuffed before being escorted away, Palestinian sources said.
Among them were finance minister Omar Abdelrazek, planning minister Samir Abu Eisheh, local government minister Issa al-Jaabari, prisoner affairs minister Wasfi Kabha and social affairs minister Fakhri al-Turkmani.
The ministers were living in the hotel because of Israeli restrictions on their movement throughout the West Bank, hotel and security sources said.
'Extreme measures'
Hamas's deputy prime minister Nasseredine al-Shaer, who is normally based in the hotel and who said on Wednesday that the life of the kidnapped soldier depended on Israel, was not in the building at the time of the arrest operation.
Jerusalem affairs minister Khaled Abu Arafeh was detained in the holy city and employment minister Mohammed Barghuthi at a checkpoint near Ramallah in the West Bank, the sources said.
Palestinian religious affairs minister Nayef Rajub was arrested from his home in the flashpoint southern West Bank city of Hebron. Mayors and local officials were also detained in the sweep.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has threatened "extreme measures" to rescue Shalit and ruled out negotiations with his kidnappers.
On Tuesday, infrastructure minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer warned the country had "no problem entering the Gaza Strip and kidnapping half the Palestinian government".
|
News
