Israel arrests Hamas leader in West Bank

Israeli occupation forces yesterday arrested prominent Hamas member, Khaled Al-Hajj, in the West Bank’s northern city of Jenin.

“An Israeli force raided our home in Al-Jabriyat neighbourhood and detained my husband,” Al-Hajj’s wife told Anadolu Agency, adding that the reason was “unclear”.

Fifty-five-year-old Al-Hajj has been arrested on several occasions and spent a total of 15 years in Israeli prisons. He was last released less than a year ago.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority have arrested dozens of Hamas members in different areas of the West Bank, including former ministers in the resigned Hamas government, legislators, university academics, journalists, and unionists. Hamas considers this a coordinated campaign to prevent its participation in the upcoming elections, slated to be held in the coming months.

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