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Israel arrests West Bank Hamas leader, demolishes militant's home

Xinhua, October 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Israeli army arrested a West Bank Hamas leader overnight, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday.

Hassan Yousef, a 60-year-old long-time Hamas leader, was arrested in Beitunia, south of Ramallah, in a joint operation carried out by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet Security Agency, for alleged incitement in the current wave of violence.

"Yousef has been actively instigating and inciting terrorism and publicly encouraging and praising the execution of attacks against Israelis," an IDF statement said.

Peter Lerner, the IDF's foreign media spokesperson, said the IDF "will act swiftly in order to contain the hateful incitement that jeopardizes the safety and wellbeing of so many Israelis and Palestinians alike."

Yousef, one of the founding members of the Islamic movement Hamas in the West Bank, is considered the organization's spiritual leader. He was arrested by Israel several times, the last time being last year, and he was released in June.

In a related development, the Israeli army overnight demolished the Hebron house of Maher Hashlamoun, a Palestinian who killed an Israeli woman in a West bank stabbing attack last year. He was shot and killed following the attack.

The measure is one of the recent steps adopted by Israel to deter Palestinians from carrying attacks.

The Israeli government said it would fight against "terrorism" and "incitement to violence" amid a current wave of violence, which has seen the the deaths of nine Israelis in stabbing, shooting and run-over attacks.

Over 40 Palestinians have died, some in clashes with Israeli security forces and others were gunned down while allegedly trying to commit attacks, and more than 1,700 were injured in recent weeks from the IDF's riot dispersal measures like rubber bullets, tear gas and live ammunition.

The wave of violence started amid strife over a holy Jerusalem site in September, but spread to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and across Israel, amid dim prospects to renew peace talks. Endit