Israel detains Hamas head of Palestinian parliament
The Israeli army on Thursday arrested the Palestinian parliamentary speaker, Hamas member Aziz Dweik, in the West Bank, a senior colleague told AFP.
Dweik was detained by soldiers at a checkpoint in Jabaa, between Ramallah and Jerusalem, as he was travelling to Hebron in the southern West Bank, the leader of the cabinet, Bahaa Yussef, told AFP.
Last May, Dweik was held at an Israeli military checkpoint in the West Bank along with three other Hamas parliamentarians. One of them, Nizar Ramadan, was detained while the others were allowed to proceed.
Hamas member Ahmed Bahar, the Gaza-based first vice president of the Palestinian parliament, in a statement denounced “the detention of Mr Dweik, which aims to undermine reconciliation efforts (with Fatah) and disrupt legislative work in the West Bank.”
Hamas government spokesman Taher al-Nunu also “condemned the detention and warned of the consequences of any attack on his person” in a statement calling for Dweik’s immediate release.
The Israeli army confirmed Dweik’s arrest.
“Israeli soldiers arrested Dweik at a checkpoint because he is suspected of being involved in the activities of a terrorist group,” an army spokesman told AFP.
The Hamas-dominated Palestinian parliament has been paralysed since the Islamist movement took over the Gaza Strip in June 2007, ousting Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.