Israel arrests senior Hamas leader in W. Bank raid

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Israeli forces detained a senior Hamas leader in Israel-occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

Hasan Yousef was arrested from his house in the West Bank city of Ramallah, according to his son.

“Dozens of Israeli soldiers raided the house at dawn and arrested my father,” Oays Hasan told Anadolu Agency.
Yousef, 57, has been frequently arrested by Israeli forces and has spent a total of 21 years in Israeli jails.

Israeli forces also rounded up 32 Palestinians, including Hamas members, in overnight raids in several areas in the West Bank for suspected involvement in “terrorist” activities, the Israeli army said in a statement.

Tension has risen across the West Bank and Gaza Strip following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem – occupied by Israel in 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.