Palestinians seize 150 Hamas members after Israeli deaths
Palestinian security forces have arrested more than 150 Hamas members in an overnight sweep of the West Bank after the Islamic militant group claimed responsibility for shooting dead four Israelis on the eve of new Middle East peace talks.
With the move, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas appeared to be trying to send a stern message to both Hamas rivals and to Israel that his government is committed to the new peace talks.
The shooting immediately cast a shadow over President Barack Obama’s push for peace, which formally began yesterday with a White House dinner. It will be the first direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in nearly two years.
It also was a vivid reminder that while Hamas is locked out of the peace efforts, it remains a key player in determining the outcome of negotiations.
The Iranian-backed group rules the Gaza Strip, one half of the territory claimed by the Palestinians for a future state, and has the power to sabotage negotiations at any moment.
A Palestinian security official confirmed a crackdown was under way, He said the shooting assailants had not been found.
Hamas MP Omar Abdel-Raziq said more than 150 members had been detained, and others had been summoned to police stations for questioning. He accused Mr Abbas of trying to please the Israelis.
“These are political arrests,” he said. “They are trying to tell the Israelis that they are capable of doing the job after the attack.”
President Obama vowed the Hamas attack “is not going to stop us” in the quest for Middle East peace as he opened the summit.
He condemned as “senseless slaughter” the ambush that killed four Israeli settlers on Tuesday in the occupied West Bank.