By Xinhua
Ramallah : Hamas said Sunday that 17 members of the Islamic movement, including a local leader, were arrested in the West Bank earlier in the day by security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
In Nablus, General Intelligence gunmen have nabbed Sheikh Nasser al-Kharraz, 55, a prominent Hamas leader in the town, as he toured the Old City area to inspect houses demolished by the Israeli army in recent operations, Hamas said in a statement.
Two weeks ago, the Israeli army stormed al-Kharraz house to detain him but he was not in the house, said the statement.
Al-Kharraz was arrested several times by the Israeli army.
According to the Hamas statement, in Rantis village in western Ramallah, the security forces also arrested 11 Hamas members from one family after being summoned by the police.
In Tubas town, five other Hamas partisans were nabbed.
Pro-Abbas security forces have been cracking down on Hamas men in the West Bank for fears of their power growing up.
In June, Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip after fighting with and defeated Abbas’ security forces.