Israeli forces round up 33 Hamas officials on West Bank including Palestinian education minister

DEBKAfile Intelligence

May 24, 2007

In addition to the minister, Nasser e-Din Shear, the Hamas mayors of Nablus and Qalqilya, local council heads and several members of parliament were detained Wednesday night, May 23.

Three missiles fired early Thursday from Gaza.

The Israeli air force also struck three Hamas-related targets in Gaza. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that after the kidnap of Gilead Shalit last June, Israel rounded up scores of Hamas officials on the West Bank and in Jerusalem - to no avail. Our sources add that the officials arrested this time too are not involved in the missile offensive waged by Hamas military chiefs in the Gaza.