Palestinian sources said Israeli soldiers arrested Nayef
Al-Rajoub, a member of the Hamas-dominated Palestine Legislative Council and
the former minister for Wakf and religious affairs, at his house in the West
Bank city of Hebron.
Al-Rajoub's family said the Israeli soldiers broke into his
house at 1 a.m. and ordered Al-Rajoub to get dressed and accompany them. He is
the brother of Jibreel Al-Rajoub, a member of the Fatah Central Committee and a
former security commander.
On June 20, Israel released Al-Rajoub after holding him for
nearly four years. Al-Rajoub was among tens of West Bank-based Hamas leaders
whom Israel arrested after Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas
in Gaza.
Israel hoped to use the Hamas officials as bargaining chips
in its efforts to secure the release of Shalit. Israel is still holding 11 Hamas
lawmakers.
The Hamas parliamentary bloc said in a statement that it
fears the latest arrest of the lawmaker was a prelude to another crackdown on
Hamas officials.
It added that the arrest is "part of the security
coordination between the Israeli occupation, the Ramallah-based Palestinian
Authority and (rival) Fatah movement." The West Bank is administered by
the Palestinian Authority, which is dominated by members of President Mahmoud
Abbas' Fatah party. In June 2007, Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and took over
the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli forces also arrested six other Palestinians in
Hebron and Nablus. Israeli security sources said the detained were handed over
to Israeli intelligence for questioning.
Since December 2009, Germany and Egypt have failed to
finalize a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel due to differences over
the number and names of those to be freed. Hamas wants Israel to free up to
1,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons in exchange for the release of Shalit and
the group has reportedly presented a list of 450 names in Israeli prisons.
Israel finds the list big.
Israel also objects to freeing Israeli Arab prisoners as
well as several Hamas military wing leaders. Another issue yet to be settled is
Israel's demand to deport almost 100 of the 450 "heavy" prisoners if
they were to be released.
