Skip to main content

West Bank arrests won’t eliminate Hamas

The arrest campaigns against Hamas in the West Bank have resulted in a leadership vacuum, but nothing the Islamist movement cannot overcome.
Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian during clashes at a protest against the Jewish settlement of Ofra, in the West Bank village of Silwad, near Ramallah September 12, 2014. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR460SU

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Since early June, Hamas has been subject to waves of arrest by the Israeli army in the West Bank, targeting the movement’s most prominent leaders. This resulted in a vacuum in Hamas’ leadership and a brief lack of communication with the public before Saed Abu Baha was appointed as the movement’s spokesman in the West Bank at the beginning of the Gaza war.

After three Israeli teen settlers went missing in Hebron in June, the occupation forces launched an arrest campaign targeting 2,000 Palestinians, most of whom were Hamas members, according to statistics acquired by Al-Monitor from the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.