Hamas lawmaker arrested by Israeli troops in W. Bank - sources

A Palestinian lawmaker of the governing Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) was arrested by Israeli troops in the West Bank on Sunday, Palestinian sources said.

Israeli forces besieged the home of Mahmoud al-Ramahi, Secretary General of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), in the West Bank city of Ramallah and arrested him, said the sources.

Meanwhile, witnesses said that an Israeli officer called on al- Ramahi to surrender, adding that they saw al-Ramahi get out of his house and was detained by Israeli soldiers.

Israel arrested eight Hamas cabinet ministers and over two dozen Hamas lawmakers in the West Bank after launching a massive military offensive in the Gaza Strip in late June to free a soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants and halt Palestinian rocket attacks. Two of the ministers have been released.

On early Saturday, Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nasser al- Shaer, who is also a senior Hamas leader, was snatched by Israeli troops from his home in Ramallah.

In addition, Parliament Speaker Aziz Dweik, also a Hamas member, was nabbed from his Ramallah home. He is expected to go on trial in an Israeli court for allegedly being involved in anti-Israel attacks.

The massive Israeli arrest campaign of Hamas officials and legislators have drawn condemnation from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas.

Haneya has slammed the Israeli detentions as "an attempt to topple the Palestinian government."

Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, has dominated the Palestinian parliament since winning the legislative elections in January. The group has taken control of the government since late March.

Hamas' armed wing, Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, was one of the three Palestinian militant groups which killed two Israeli soldiers and kidnapped a third during a cross-border attack on June 25, triggering the Israeli offensive.

The Hamas government has denied any role in the deadly attack or any foreknowledge of it.

Source: Xinhua