Israel arrests 2 senior Hamas leaders in West Bank

The Israeli security forces arrested on Sunday six Palestinians, including two senior Islamic Hamas movement's leaders in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian security officials said.

The officials said that Israeli army forces stormed homes in several areas in the city and arrested six people, including Eissa Ja'bari, a former minister in the Hamas-led former unity government that was formed in 2007.

The security officials also said that the Israeli army raided the house of Hatem Qfaisha, a Hamas lawmaker in the Palestinian Legislative Council, and arrested him. He was released in last March after he spend two years in Israeli prison.

Meanwhile, Israel Public Radio reported that the Israeli army arrested six Palestinians in southern West Bank city of Hebron, including five Hamas leaders and members.

The radio, which quoted Israeli security officials, said the five are involved in carrying out actions that violate the discipline and were involved in shooting attacks against Israelis.

The radio also reported that unknown militants fired a rocket from Gaza into Israel, but the rocket landed on an area close to the fence of the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. No one claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.

Over night and on Saturday, two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli police and Israeli army forces, including a 13-year-old girl in northern Jerusalem.

A wave of violent tension, broke out in early October in the Palestinian territories between Israel and the Palestinians, has so far left 164 Palestinians and 29 Israelis killed. Endit