Police prevent Hamas meeting

Hamas members detained, released; Sur Bahir soccer stadium closed.

By ETGAR LEFKOVITS, JPOST STAFF
Karadi 88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Karadi 88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Jerusalem police on Monday prevented Hamas from holding a planned gathering in east Jerusalem, police said. The move came a day after police detained the senior Hamas parliamentarian from east Jerusalem and six other Hamas activists for pressing ahead with preparations for the banned Hamas meeting in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Tsur Bahir.
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The newly elected Hamas lawmaker, Sheikh Mohammed Abu-Tir, serves as the head of the movement's list in Jerusalem. He was taken into police custody late Sunday for questioning along with six other Hamas officials in the city, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said. The seven men were released an hour later after receiving a second warning against holding the event. Over the weekend, police shut the east Jerusalem soccer stadium where the Hamas parley was planned. The closure order, which was signed by Israel police chief Insp. Gen. Moshe Karadi, was presented to Abu-Tir on Saturday. Police had said they would forcibly prevent the Hamas gathering from taking place at the stadium in the neighborhood, which is adjacent to the city's Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, and were out in force in the area on Monday morning. The move was the latest police crackdown on Hamas activity in Jerusalem.