Israel seizes top Hamas official-lawmakers

West Bank, Aug 19: Israel arrested Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Naser al-Shaer, a top official of the Hamas militant group, at his home in the occupied West Bank today, his wife and two lawmakers said.

Israel has more than two dozen Hamas lawmakers and several other cabinet ministers in custody since late June, after launching an offensive in response to the kidnapping of a soldier in a cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment on al-Shaer's arrest, which according to his wife, Huda al-Shaer, took place at his home in the West Bank town of Ramallah before dawn.

Al-Shaer's wife told Reuters that ''several jeeps circled the house before dawn'' then troops came to the door.

An officer told her after checking their identity documents, '''sorry madame, but your husband has to come with us. He let him first say goodbye to our four children,'' al-Shaer said.

Two lawmakers from Hamas, a militant group that seeks Israel's destruction and swept to power in the Palestinian Authority in March elections, also confirmed al-Shaer's arrest.

Reuters

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