The security forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday arrested 17 Hamas members across the West Bank, the Islamic Hamas movement said in a statement.
The arrests have been highlighted tension between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah and complicated Egypt's efforts as Cairo announced it has postponed hosting a national Palestinian dialogue due to be held this week to reconcile the two movements.
Since Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and seized control of Gaza Strip last summer, the two parties cracked down against each other in the territories they control -- Hamas' Gaza and Fatah's West Bank.
Denouncing the arrests, Hamas said keeping its supporters held in the West Bank prisons was "a crime and an obstacle on the way of the dialogue." The movement insisted that Abbas should free all Hamas prisoners before launching any dialogue.
"President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement are committing crimes in the West Bank and will pay a heavy price for keeping around 600 prisoners in their jails," said Hamas leader Mushir el-Masri in Gaza.
Two weeks ago, Hamas released 17 Fatah prisoners in Gaza, saying the 17 were the only prisoners Hamas held for their political activities. Hamas claims up to 300 supporters are detained in the West Bank.
But after the dialogue was announced to be postponed, both sides continued their war though the media and traded accusations that each had caused the failure of the dialogue.
Source:Xinhua
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