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Campaign of Arrests in West Bank Targets Hamas Leaders

Israeli soldiers take part in an operation in the West Bank City of Hebron June 20, 2014. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma
Israeli soldiers take part in an operation in the West Bank City of Hebron June 20, 2014. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma
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Campaign of Arrests in West Bank Targets Hamas Leaders

Israeli soldiers take part in an operation in the West Bank City of Hebron June 20, 2014. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma
Israeli soldiers take part in an operation in the West Bank City of Hebron June 20, 2014. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma

Israel launched a massive campaign of arrests in the West Bank, targeting a number of Hamas movement leaders.

The arrests included former Minister of Local Government Issa al-Jabari, member of the dissolved Legislative Council Muhammad Jamal al-Natsheh, and leaders of Hamas, Jawad Mahmoud Bahr al-Natsheh, Omar Qawasmi, and Mazen Jamal al-Natsheh, all of whom are released prisoners.

The Israeli army stormed several Palestinian cities, including Nablus, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Hebron, searching homes and arresting citizens.

The army also arrested the president of the Student Council Conference at Birzeit University in Ramallah, Shatha Majid Hassan, at her home.

According to Israeli media, the Israeli security defined the arrest operation as a “preventive” measure ahead of the anniversary of the founding of Hamas, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday.

In a statement, Hamas said: “The occupation’s arrest of a number of the movement’s leaders and representatives in the city of Hebron confirms its continuous attempts to disrupt the internal Palestinian political life.”

“Arrest and prosecution campaigns will not prevent us from assuming our pioneering role in ... confronting the occupation’s plans,” the statement added.

The arrests came as settlers carried out a series of reprisal attacks against Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank.

Dozens of cars and a Palestinian mosque were attacked by settlers in a village north of Palestine. Residents said that they were surprised by a line of racist slogans calling for the expulsion of Arabs from the country.

The Center Against Racism underlined the spread of a dangerous hate phenomenon.

It said that this year more than 200 cars and dozens of homes were destroyed, calling for the establishment of a special investigation committee to deal with the phenomenon.

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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)

The war in Sudan is nearing its end, a top military official said on Saturday, warning that the widespread availability of weapons could pose one of the biggest threats to the country’s stability in the post-war period.
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, told state governors in the temporary capital of Port Sudan that arms proliferation is a “major danger awaiting the state.”
“The areas that have been retaken must be handed over to the police for administration,” Kabbashi said, stressing that civilian policing, not military control, should take over in recaptured territories.
He also pointed to the need to redeploy troops currently stationed at checkpoints and security outposts in liberated regions. “We need these forces on other frontlines,” he said.
Kabbashi described the rise in hate speech triggered by the conflict as “unacceptable” and warned that Sudan would face deep social challenges once the fighting stops.
According to Kabbashi, the Sudanese armed forces are in a strong position after initial setbacks at the start of the war, as the military seeks to shift focus to restoring internal security and supporting civil governance in liberated areas.
“The situation of the armed forces and supporting units is more than good,” said Kabbashi. “We were in a bad place at the beginning of the war — now we are more than fine.”
Kabbashi added that army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is highly focused on ensuring public safety across the country, calling security “a top priority, ahead of all other services.”
He warned, however, that Sudan faces deeper challenges beyond the battlefield. “The plot against Sudan is bigger than the militia we’re fighting — they are only the front,” Kabbashi said, referring to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) without naming them directly.
He pointed to rising crime, widespread weapons, and looting as major security threats that emerged during the war, saying state authorities would have a significant role to play in restoring order.
Kabbashi urged state governors to back police forces in their efforts to maintain law and order, emphasizing that police support is “urgently needed” during the current transitional phase.