Israeli army arrests ex-Hamas lawmakers in West Bank

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Israeli forces detained two former Palestinian legislators in raids in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to local residents.

Israeli soldiers raided the homes of former MPs, Hatem Qafisha and Nayef Rajoub, in the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank and took them into custody, the residents said.

Qafisha was later released by Israeli forces.

The former lawmakers are from Palestinian resistance group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

There was no comment from the Israeli army on the raids.

Last week, the Israeli army arrested former Hamas lawmaker Nezar Ramadan and former minister Essa al-Jaabari, who was later released.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara