Palestinian Authority arrests 100 Hamas members in West Bank


Palestinian Authority (PA) forces arrested over 100 Hamas members in the West Bank who were planning on carrying out attacks, a Palestinian official said, in the biggest raid of its kind in years.Spokesman for Palestinian security, Adnan Dameri said "We will not let Hamas undermine our security and draw our country to bloodshed; we will not let Hamas carry out attacks in the West Bank."It was the biggest mass arrest in one night since 2007 when Palestinians split after Hamas violently ousted forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas from Gaza, leaving him governing just parts of the West Bank.Hamas spokesman Husam Badran said in a statement the arrests were meant to stop the recent spate of deadly Palestinian attacks against Israelis, while Sami Abu Zuhri condemned the arrests as a "dangerous escalation which blocks efforts and reconciliation."He accused Palestinian security forces of working for Israel and said the militant group holds Abbas personally responsible. Hamas will continue attacks against Israelis in the West Bank, he said.There has been a surge in deadly Palestinian attacks against Israelis recently. Two Israelis were killed in separate West Bank shootings that also injured several people, and two others wounded in stabbing attacks.Hamas in Gaza published names of 108 of its members who had been arrested.He also criticised the PA for its "security cooperation with the Israeli occupation."Under 1993 peace accords, the PA coordinates on West Bank security with Israel, including by sharing intelligence.The PA is dominated by Abbas's Fatah party, originally the leading force in Palestinian Liberation Organization of deceased leader Yasser Arafat, which is Hamas's bitter rival.It regularly arrests members of the movement, but as many as 100 members in one swoop is rare.In June 2014, Israel detained hundreds of Hamas members in the West Bank after blaming the group for the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers.The latest arrests came amid tension between Hamas and the West Bank-based PA, more than a year after the two sides signed a unity deal that failed to end a years-long Palestinian split.In April 2014 Fatah signed a unity deal with Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.The two sides approved a government of independent technocrats to take over administration of the Gaza Strip, Hamas's bastion, and the West Bank.But disputes over the payment of Hamas-appointed employees in Gaza, and control of the territory, mean Hamas remains in control of the enclave.Last summer's war between Israel and Hamas also set back any efforts at reconciliation.