Israeli army arrests Palestinian parliamentarian

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH

The Israeli army arrested on Monday a Palestinian parliamentarian in the West Bank city of Salfit.

According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli forces raided Nasser Abdel Gawad's residence and arrested him.

Palestinian MP Fathi al-Qaraawi of the Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform bloc said continuous arrests of deputies of the Palestinian Legislative Council who are entitled to parliamentary immunity is a flagrant violation of international law.

"Israel rejected the results of the Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and arrested all Hamas deputies (in the West Bank including Jerusalem) and continues to punish the Palestinian people for this by arresting the group's deputies," al-Qaraawi said.

The Change and Reform bloc won the 2006 Palestinian elections with an overwhelming majority.

Al-Qaraawi added the arrest is an attempt to block opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The latest arrest raises the number of jailed Palestinian deputies to 11.