Since mid-December, the West Bank has been the target of an increased arrest campaign led by Israeli and Palestinian security forces against dozens of Hamas members and leaders. The campaign is ongoing, and the number of arrests has not been specified. On Dec. 12 and Dec. 16, Israel carried out wide arrests in Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Hebron and Jericho that included member of the Palestinian Legislative Council Mohammad al-Natsheh, former Minister of Local Governance Issa al-Jaabari, Hamas leader Abdul Khaleq al-Natsheh, several former detainees and Shada Hasan, a student at Birzeit University.
On Dec. 14 and Dec. 16, Hamas revealed that the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces had arrested more than 40 of its members, including former detainees, university students, journalists, young activists, rights activists, traders, engineers and academics. The PA also summoned 36 Hamas members and raided and searched 24 houses, according to Palestinian activist Mostafa Jamil who disclosed the names of the Hamas members arrested by Israel and the PA in a Facebook post.
