RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The Palestinian militant group Hamas says Israeli troops have arrested one of its parliament members in the West Bank.
The Islamic group says in a text-messaged statement that Abdel Jaber Fuqaha was taken from his home in the West Bank city of Ramallah early Tuesday. Hamas says Fuqaha is the fifth Hamas lawmaker to be arrested since last week.
Hamas says 24 of its 45 parliament members from the West Bank are currently in Israeli detention. The group won 2006 parliament elections, defeating the Fatah movement headed by Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group and has periodically arrested and released Hamas lawmakers.
