The Palestinian security sources said that the PA forces arrested 46-year-old Ayoub Al-Qawasmi from the city of Hebron, in southern West Bank. The sources declined to disclose additional information.

Other Palestinian sources said that Al-Qawasmi was the PA’s most wanted Hamas operative since 1998. The sources said that the PA failed to arrest him in previous raids.

The Palestinian sources said that the Israeli security forces also were searching for Al-Qawasmi. Israel holds Al-Qawasmi responsible for several military operations against Israeli targets that led to the death and injury of several Israelis.

Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called the arrest “the persecution of warriors.”

Barhoum added that the arrest of Al-Qawasmi “puts the PA on the side of Israeli occupation.” He warned the PA against “handing Al-Qawasmi over to the Israeli occupiers.”

Hamas says that the arrests campaigns the PA’s security forces launch against its member and supporters in the West Bank hinders the possibility of achieving a national unity agreement with rival Fatah movement.

The internal rift and split between the rival Fatah and Hamas movements began when the latter seized control of the Gaza Strip by force in June 2007. Hamas and Fatah have so far failed to reconcile and end their political split.

Since then, Hamas started to crack down on Fatah movement in Gaza, while Abbas security forces began to crack down on Hamas movement in the West Bank.