Israel arrests senior Hamas leader in West Bank raid

By Awad al-Rujoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Israeli forces on Wednesday detained a senior Hamas leader in an overnight raid in the occupied West Bank, according to his son.

“Nayef Al-Rajoub was arrested after Israeli forces raided his home” in the town of Dura, southwest of Hebron, his son Mohamed told Anadolu Agency.

No reason was provided for Al-Rajoub’s detention.

The Hamas leader was released by Israeli forces in January after eight months in administrative detention.

The policy of administrative detention allows Israeli authorities to hold Palestinians without charge of trial.

Nayef Al-Rajoub is the brother of senior Fatah leader Jibril Al-Rajoub. He was elected a lawmaker during the 2006 general elections won by Hamas.

He had previously served as minister of religious endowments.

In another development, a Palestinian was injured by Israeli army fire during clashes in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to a local medical source.

The violence erupted when Israeli forces raided the Dheisha refugee camp, the state news agency Wafa reported.

The Israeli army said its forces had detained four Palestinians from the Dheisha camp and three others from Dura town near Hebron.

The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar