Israeli troops arrested early on Wednesday 15 Palestinians, including a city hall council member in the West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.
Witnesses in the city of Bethlehem said an Israeli army unit stormed the house of Yousef al-Natsheh, member of Bethlehem municipal council. Al-Natsheh is pro- Hamas, they said.
In northern West Bank, Israeli Radio and Palestinian residents said Israeli soldiers stormed houses in the city of Qalqilia and detained at least ten people. The Radio said some of them are wanted.
Also, in the West Bank city of Nablus, the Israeli army raided several houses in the city, and detained five people, said Palestinian security sources.
The sources said the arrests of the five Palestinians came shortly after Israeli undercover unit soldiers, disguising as Palestinian police officers, shot dead an al-Aqsa Brigades militant and wounded his colleague.
Meanwhile, Hamas said in a statement that police in the West Bank was continuing "detaining Hamas members in the West Bank" although President Mahmoud Abbas' police forces said they would release Hamas detainees from jails.
"Everyday, Abbas police arrests Hamas members and supporters," said Hamas, which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since mid-June after defeating Abbas' security forces.
Early on Wednesday, Abbas' police again arrested three Hamas members in the area of Nablus, according to Hamas' statement.
Since Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip, Fatah's security forces, which dominate the West Bank, have been constantly accused by Hamas of intensifying efforts to crack down on Hamas members and prevent a possible repeated scenario in the West Bank.
Source:Xinhua
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