Israel arrests Hamas members in WB prior to elections

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) carried out a large-scale arrest campaign against over 20 members and leader of Hamas Movement in the West Bank. Local sources revealed that Israeli soldiers arrested the Hamas leader Hussein Abu Kuwaik, representative of Hamas in the central elections committee.

The arrest of the Hamas leader Kuwaik came just one day after the committee had announced opening of registration for candidature in the electoral lists of the committee which reflects Israeli targeting of the Movement and the lists it supports.

The sources also reported that the IOF soldiers broke into the home of the Hamas leader Jamal Abu al-Haija in addition to the homes of three of his sons. They searched the houses thoroughly, wreaked havoc on them, and confiscated his son’s car. The forces also confiscated the contents of his son’s electronic devices shop as well as the appliances inside their homes. The Israeli forces stormed the house after midnight by blowing up its main door, Abu al-Haija’s son said.

They gathered the family members in one room and interrogated all of them. Clashes erupted after the storming of Abu al-Haija’s home in Jenin city and in its refugee camp. The arrests also took place in al-Khalil, Ramallah and other locations in Jenin city after storming Palestinians’ homes and confiscating computers and other properties of the arrested.