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Israel says arrests 13 Hamas members in West Bank

Xinhua, January 16, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Israeli military said on Monday that it arrested 13 Hamas members in the West Bank overnight, including a lawmaker, amid a crackdown on the Islamist Palestinian group.

In the raid, conducted jointly by the army and the Shin Bet security service, a vehicle, funds and "inciting" Hamas materials were also seized.

A military spokesperson said in a statement that the men were arrested in connection with the operation of a Hamas headquarters.

"During the past weeks, security forces uncovered a wide-scale base for Hamas activity in the Ramallah area," the statement said, adding that the base was "operated as Hamas' command in the area."

Its activities included supporting Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and their families, distributing "Hamas propaganda," and financing rallies, according to the Israeli security forces.

"The command was funded directly by Hamas officials in Gaza and abroad and intended to bolster Hamas' regional support, establish terror cells and undermine the Palestinian Authority," the statement read.

Hamas is a Gaza-based Palestinian organization that supports armed struggle against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

A wave of violence that lasted more than a year has claimed the lives of at least 235 Palestinians and 34 Israelis. Endit