Israel seizes Hamas leaders in West Bank, bombs Gaza

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Israel seizes Hamas leaders in West Bank, bombs Gaza
24 May 2007 02:11:40 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA, May 24 (Reuters) - Israeli forces seized a Palestinian cabinet
minister, lawmakers and mayors in the occupied West Bank and launched
more air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, stepping up a campaign
against Hamas Islamists.

The escalation came hours after Hamas and other groups rebuffed
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's call for a halt to cross-border
rocket attacks by Gaza militants at southern Israeli towns.

Israeli troops entered the West Bank city of Nablus and took into custody
Education Minister Naser al-Shaer of Hamas, according to his wife, Huda.
"I asked them, 'Why are you taking him'. The officer said, 'We have
orders'," Huda told Reuters.

Israeli forces also seized at least three Hamas lawmakers, the mayor and
deputy mayor of Nablus and other local Hamas officials, Hamas officials
said.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L12971712.htm

[breakaleg]

1. I wonder how certain Israeli politicians would feel if Palestinians came to arrest them?

This whole thing is absurd.

[madeline_con]

2. Kidnap is a more appropriate word. n/t

[Shaktimaan]

5. I thought you

wanted suspects arrested instead of targeted for assasination? Now arresting is not acceptable either. Even in the wake of Hamas declaring that they will destroy Israel while increasing attacks against them?

You are really unbelievable, you don't think that Israel has any right to take any action to defend itself. You will criticise Israel for arresting terrorists yet on the very same day you demand the arrest of Israeli security guards who may have acted innappropriately (possibly even assaulted someone!) during trips to Poland, even though you have no idea what was happening or whether such action was entirely justified. You strangely didn't seem interested in that aspect of it, just as you don't seem interested in knowing WHY this guy was arrested. The fact that Israel was doing the arresting seems enough to denounce it wholesale.

[breakaleg]

7. What are you talking about? What were they arrested for? The education minister??Please.

From the article:

"The new U.N. special envoy to the Middle East voiced concern: "I'm troubled when I see Israeli soldiers arresting Palestinian legislators. I'm troubled that the education minister was arrested," Michael Williams told Reuters.

He said it was of particular concern that few of those held since last year had been charged."

[fooj]

3. Nice going.

:mad:

[azurnoir]

4. When I read that Israewas restarting

"targeted killings" I knew this would be the result. IAF or IDF has a way of missing the target but getting the families of said targets, I am sure Israel would claim that the targets are using their wife, kids, parents as human shields and Israel is completely innocent.

[Eugene]

6. Israel seizes 33 senior Hamas figures

Source: Agence France-Presse

Israel seizes 33 senior Hamas figures

by Imad Saada
1 hour, 51 minutes ago

NABLUS, West Bank (AFP) - Israel seized 33 senior Hamas figures in
the occupied West Bank on Thursday, including a minister, in the latest
crackdown on the Islamists aimed at halting rocket fire from Gaza.

The overnight operation in the northern West Bank, mainly in the town
of Nablus, targeted Palestinian education minister Nasseredin al-Shaer,
three lawmakers and at least seven mayors, the army and officials said.

Defence Minister Amir Peretz told army radio the move against members
of the main partner in the Palestinian unity government was "a message
to armed wings of terrorist organisations to stop their rocket fire."

An Israeli military spokesman said the 33 were detained because they
"supported the firing of rockets.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070524/ts_afp/mideast_070524083451

[Eugene]

8. Israel seizes Palestinian government minister (Saturday)

Source: Reuters

Israel seizes Palestinian government minister
26 May 2007 05:48:44 GMT
Source: Reuters

JENIN, West Bank, May 26 (Reuters) - Israeli forces seized a cabinet
minister in the Hamas-led Palestinian unity government in the occupied
West Bank on Saturday, a Palestinian security official said.

Palestinian Minister of State Wasfi Kabha, a Hamas member, was
arrested overnight from a village near the West Bank city of Jenin, the
official said. Kabha is the second cabinet minister to be seized by Israeli
forces since Thursday.

The Israeli army said it arrested a Hamas member overnight but did not
identify him.


Link: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L26610254.htm