Israel Captures Hamas Government Leaders
Nji Che - All Headline News Staff Writer Gaza City, Gaza Strip (AHN) - The Israeli army on Thursday captured eight Hamas cabinet ministers and several other key officials, as it prepared to increase the Gaza offensive it launched on Wednesday. Palestinian officials say Israeli troops arrested Finance Minister Omar Abdel-Razeq and seven other cabinet members in a night operation in the West Bank area. 20 lawmakers of the Hamas government were also arrested. The move was aimed at putting more pressure on Hamas militants to release an Israeli soldier who was kidnapped from the army last Sunday. A Palestinian security officer said he saw several Israeli tanks roll into northern Gaza before dawn. The Israeli military has denied the troops were not yet deployed to begin ground operations in the area. On Wednesday, heavily armed Israeli forces set up a strategic post from where they prepared to launch an occupation backed by helicopters and other arsenal. On the other side of barricades, gunmen waited to respond to attacks. The Gaza campaign was launched a day after Hamas and Fatah, the two rival Palestinian factions agreed on a resolution that implicitly recognized Israel. The resolution allowed for a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel. The Hamas movement's charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish nation through force. It rules out the use of peace to settle their long running land disputes. The |
