Israel seizes top Hamas official: lawmakers

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Israel arrested Palestinian
Deputy Prime Minister Naser al-Shaer, a top official of the
Hamas militant group, at his home in the occupied West Bank on
Saturday, his wife and two lawmakers said.

Israel has more than two dozen Hamas lawmakers and several
other cabinet ministers in custody since late June, after
launching an offensive in response to the kidnapping of a
soldier in a cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment on al-Shaer’s
arrest, which according to his wife, Huda al-Shaer, took place
at his home in the West Bank town of Ramallah before dawn.

Al-Shaer’s wife told Reuters that “several jeeps circled
the house before dawn” then troops came to the door.

An officer told her after checking their identity
documents, “‘sorry madame, but your husband has to come with
us. He let him first say goodbye to our four children,”
al-Shaer said.

Two lawmakers from Hamas, a militant group that seeks
Israel’s destruction and swept to power in the Palestinian
Authority in March elections, also confirmed al-Shaer’s arrest.