The Islamic Hamas movement said security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas arrested 17 Hamas members and activists across the West Bank on Sunday.
Hamas said in a statement that the security forces detained 17 Hamas members and activists in the cities of Qalqilia, Jenin, Tulkarem, Bethlehem and Nablus.
Since Hamas military takeover of the Gaza Strip last year, Abbas security forces have conducted arrests against Hamas leaders, members and activists in fear that Hamas gets strong in the West Bank and takes control of the area.
Since a bloody blast of a Hamas militants' car in Gaza last month, Hamas in Gaza has been intensified detention of Fatah leaders, members and activists, while Abbas security forces have clamped down on Hamas.
Several Palestinian factions, mainly the Islamic Jihad (Holy War), have been mediating between rival Fatah and Hamas to secure the release of all the political prisoners arrested in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Meanwhile, Hamas said Abbas security forces stormed a charity association in Tulkarem and a mosque in Nablus, and confiscated all the contents of the association and the mosque.
Hamas has earlier warned that if Abbas security forces continue cracking down on Hamas in the West Bank, Hamas would call for uprising against the Palestinian National Authority.
Source: Xinhua
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