IDF troops arrest 7 Hamas operatives in Nablus

Local residents: Two municipal council members, head of women's group taken; IDF confirms op.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
nablus 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
nablus 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
The IDF arrested seven Hamas members in Nablus before dawn on Tuesday, including two municipal council members, in an ongoing crackdown on the terrorist group in the city, residents said. The army confirmed that it had arrested seven people in Nablus, without elaborating. Residents said the soldiers arrested the council members, a senior Hamas member and others with close ties to the Islamist group, including Hanin Darwazi, the head of a local women's organization. Hamas has a large, active women's section. However, arrests of Hamas women are infrequent. Last week the IDF closed an allegedly Hamas-owned shopping mall, a TV station and a newspaper in the city. The raids have prompted complaints from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel is damaging his standing in the West Bank. Chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat announced this week that Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert are scheduled to meet in Jerusalem in 10 days to continue discussions over final-status issues. Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.