http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/25/world/middleeast/25mideast.html
Israel Seizes 33 Palestinians in Crackdown Majdi Mohammed/Associated Press An Israeli soldier arresting a Palestinian yesterday in Nablus, West Bank. The roundup extended Israel's retaliation for rocket attacks from Gaza. By ISABEL KERSHNER Published: May 25, 2007 JERUSALEM, May 24 - Israel stepped up its campaign against Hamas on Thursday, arresting 33 prominent West Bank Palestinians in early morning raids, including a cabinet minister, three legislators and three mayors, and accusing them of "terrorist activity," army officials said. In a statement, the army described those arrested as "senior members of the Hamas terror organization." Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said, "We have information that connects all those arrested to terrorist activity." Another senior Israeli government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the arrests came "on the heels of concrete and genuine indications that these individuals - all of them - pose a clear and present danger to the lives of Israelis." The most senior Palestinian official arrested Thursday, the education minister, Nasser Eddin al-Shaer, had already been detained by the Israeli authorities in August. He was released by a military court in late September, because no incriminating evidence was found, army officials said. That arrest was part of a similar sweep in the West Bank after the capture of an Israeli Army corporal, Gilad Shalit, who was taken to Gaza by Hamas in late June. "Mr. Shaer was released at the time because he is not a member of Hamas," said Rabia al-Barghouti, a spokesman for the Palestinian Legislative Council, or parliament. "He is close to Hamas, but he has a clean security record." Israeli Army officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under army rules, said Mr. Shaer had been detained again because of "new information." Others arrested on Thursday led what Mr. Barghouti described as educational and charitable establishments. Forty-one Palestinian legislators have remained in Israeli detention since the summer, he said, including the speaker, Aziz Dweik. All were elected in January 2006, having run on Hamas's Change and Reform list, which won a large majority of seats in the 132-member parliament. "Every time they appear in the military court, the judge extends their detention for another two or three months," Mr. Barghouti said. The charges against them include membership in Hamas, which Israel and many Western nations consider a terrorist organization. The army officials said Thursday's detainees were "being held in custody for questioning, in accordance with the law" in the West Bank. "The findings will determine whether the detainees will be held under administrative or criminal detention." The latest arrests coincided with Israeli airstrikes against money-changing offices and businesses in the Gaza Strip that the army said had been transferring money to Hamas and other militant organizations. The arrests represented a broadening of Israel's campaign against Hamas since the group resumed rocket fire against Israel 10 days ago, ending a six-month Gaza cease-fire. Ms. Eisin said Israel was going after Hamas "in all its aspects." Previously, the Israeli military had focused its attacks on cells launching rockets into Israel, military headquarters of Hamas and other factions, and buildings that the army said served as weapons storage or production areas. On Thursday afternoon, the air force struck a Hamas security compound west of Gaza City and a Hamas post in Deir el Balah, to the south, an army spokeswoman said. Seven Palestinians were injured in the strike near Gaza City, according to Palestinian hospital officials. Shortly after the strike, Fatma Abu Dakin, who lives close to the Hamas security compound, was at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City with her injured daughter and niece. "We were all sitting in the living room and suddenly found ourselves scattered in the street," Mrs. Abu Dakin said. "Amnah was crawling down the stairs, and Dalal fell unconscious." According to Dr. Moawiya Hassanain, a spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, 38 Palestinians have been killed and 156 wounded in 35 airstrikes since May 17. Among the dead were seven Palestinians under the age of 16, he said. One Israeli woman has been killed and two have been seriously injured by the recent barrages of rockets fired from Gaza. Scores have been treated for lighter injuries. About 200 rockets have been launched at Israel in the past 10 days. On Thursday, at least 12 rockets were launched from Gaza, the army spokeswoman said. At least five fell in Israeli territory, causing some damage but no injuries. In addition, two mortar shells were fired at the Erez crossing between Gaza and Israel, causing damage and temporarily closing the crossing. Also on Thursday, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, met in Gaza with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. Both men called for an end to the rocket fire, which Mr. Abbas described as pointless and absurd. Mr. Solana told reporters after the meeting: "The rockets have to stop. Violence is not going to resolve any problem." Mr. Abbas called for a truce with Israel that would "start in Gaza and end in the West Bank." But Hamas and the other Palestinian factions have yet to agree to stop the rocket fire. Mr. Abbas said the factions would be studying the idea of a truce over the next 48 hours. Israeli government officials have reacted frostily to calls for a comprehensive truce. "The Palestinians have made a mockery of the so-called cease-fire in the Gaza Strip," the senior government official said. "It is a far cry to ask for it to be extended to the West Bank." Palestinian leaders condemned Israel's arrests in the West Bank. Nabil Abu Rudeina, a spokesman for Mr. Abbas, said they would only worsen tensions. The information minister, Mustafa Barghouti, described the arrests as "a massacre" of Palestinian democracy and civil society. Israel's defense minister, Amir Peretz, told Israel Radio, "It is better to carry out arrests than it is to launch aggressive operations." He said that Israel would not make a distinction between the political and military wings of Hamas, and that "if this engenders the realization that they must change their attitude and stop the rocket fire at Israel, it will have proven itself." Mr. Solana, when asked whether he thought that Israel's latest arrests of Hamas officials were justified, said: "I will be very brief. I say, 'No.' " Taghreed El-Khodary contributed reporting from Gaza City. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
