Israel Arrests 33 West Bank Palestinians

JERUSALEM, May 24 — The Israeli Army and internal security agency arrested 33 prominent West Bank Palestinians, including a minister, three lawmakers and three mayors, in raids early this morning, army officials said.

In a statement, the army described those arrested as senior members of the Hamas terror organization, which it said exploits governmental institutions to encourage and support terrorist activity.

Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel, said, We have information that connects all those arrested to terrorist activity. Another senior Israeli government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the arrests came on the heels of concrete and genuine indications that these individuals — all of them — pose a clear and present danger to the lives of Israelis.

But the most senior Palestinian to have been arrested, the Palestinian Authoritys education minister, Nasser Eddin al-Shaer, had already been detained by the Israeli authorities in August. That arrest came as part of a similar sweep following the kidnapping of an Israeli Army corporal, Gilad Shalit, to Gaza by Hamas and other militant groups in late June. Mr. Shaer was released by a military court in late September, because of what the court said was a lack of evidence against him.

Mr. Shaer was released because he is not a member of Hamas, said Rabia al-Barghouti, a spokesman for the Palestinian Legislative Council, or parliament. He is close to Hamas, but he has a clean security record, Mr. Barghouti said.

Other Palestinians arrested today ran what Mr. Barghouti described as educational and charitable establishments. Forty-one Palestinian legislators have remained in Israeli detention since the summer, including the parliaments speaker, Aziz Dweik. All were elected in January 2006, having run on Hamass Change and Reform list, which won a large majority of seats in the 132-member parliament.

Every time they appear in the military court, the judge extends their detention for another two or three months, Mr. Barghouti said, adding that the charges against them include membership in Hamas and the illegal transfer of money.

Israeli government and security officials would not immediately provide any details about the legal status or terms of arrest of those detained today, other than to say they were under investigation.

The latest arrests coincided with Israeli airstrikes against money-changing offices and businesses in the Gaza Strip, which the army said had been transferring funds to Hamas and other militant organizations. Together, these actions represented a broadening of Israels campaign against Hamas since it resumed rocket fire against Israel 10 days ago, ending a six-month Gaza cease-fire.

Previously, the Israeli military had focused its attacks on cells launching rockets into Israel, the military headquarters of Hamas and other factions, and buildings that the army said served as weapons storage or production facilities.

This afternoon, the Israeli Air force struck a Hamas Executive Force compound west of Gaza City, and a Hamas post in Deir El-Balah to the south, an army spokeswoman said. Seven Palestinians were injured in the strike near Gaza City, according to Palestinian hospital officials.

Shortly after the strike, Fatma Abu Dakin, who lives close to the Executive Force compound, was at Shifa hospital in Gaza City with her injured daughter and niece. We were all sitting in the living room and suddenly found ourselves scattered in the street, she said. Amnah was crawling down the stairs and Dalal fell unconscious.

According to Dr. Moawiya Hassanain, a spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, 38 Palestinians have been killed and 156 have been injured in 35 air strikes since May 17. Among the dead are seven Palestinians under the age of 16, he said.

One Israeli woman has been killed and two have been seriously injured by the recent barrages of rockets fired from Gaza. Scores have been treated for lighter injuries and shock.

Approximately 200 rockets have been launched at Israel in the past 10 days, many of which have fallen in and around the Israeli border town of Sderot or in surrounding communities. Today, at least five rockets were launched from Gaza, the army spokeswoman said. At least two rockets fell in Israeli territory, causing some damage but no injuries.

Also today, the European Unions foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, met in Gaza with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. Both men called for an end to rocket fire, which Mr.. Abbas described as pointless and absurd.

Mr. Solana said after the meeting that the rockets have to stop.

Violence is not going to resolve any problem, he said. This isnt the way to find peace.

Mr. Abbas called for a comprehensive and mutual truce with Israel that would start in Gaza and end in the West Bank. But Hamas and the other Palestinian factions have yet to agree to stop the rocket fire. Mr. Abbas said the factions would be studying the idea of a truce over the next 48 hours. I hope to reach an agreement and discuss this with the Israeli side as well, he said.

Israeli government officials have reacted frostily to the Palestinian leaders calls for a comprehensive truce. The Palestinians have made a mockery of the so-called cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, a senior official said. It is a far cry to ask for it to be extended to the West Bank, where the Palestinians continue to busy themselves with a flurry of terrorist activity.

Mr. Solana, when asked whether he thought Israels latest arrests of Hamas officials were justified, said: I will be very brief. I say No.

Taghreed El-Khodary contributed reporting from Gaza City.

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