Israel Seizes Senior Palestinian Arab Official in Crackdown Against Hamas

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RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israeli forces seized a senior Palestinian Arab legislator yesterday in their crackdown against the ruling Hamas movement, drawing angry accusations from Palestinian Arab leaders that Israel is undermining their efforts to form a unity government.

Troops and agents of the Shin Bet intelligence agency grabbed a senior Hamas member and secretary-general of the Palestinian parliament, Mahmoud al-Ramahi, at his Ramallah home, a military statement said.

A physician by training, Mr. Ramahi is the fourth-ranking member of the parliament, dealing with administrative and procedural affairs. His capture puts almost all of Hamas’s West Bank leadership in Israeli custody.

On Saturday, soldiers swooped in on Deputy Prime Minister Nasser Shaer at a home where he had been hiding, also in Ramallah. Mr. Shaer was the most senior Hamas official to be detained.

Israel is now holding five Cabinet ministers and more than two dozen lawmakers. Four other Cabinet ministers were rounded up but have since been released.

Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh of Hamas said the continued detention of government members and lawmakers is “putting obstacles” in the way of reaching a national consensus and unity government.

Israel says its roundup of Hamas officials is a legitimate act against a terrorist group.

“The measures Israel is taking in the territories, including this arrest, have everything to do with security considerations and for the active prevention of terror,” an official in Prime Minister Olmert’s office, David Baker, said.


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