Ongoing Israeli raids in the northern West Bank city of Nablus and a nearby refugee camp have netted a local Hamas leader. Occupation forces seized Adnan Asfur in the early hours of Sunday, reported Aljazeera correspondent Hasan al-Titi. Asfur, 40, on Israel's wanted list for two years, was arrested at his father's home in the al-Massya district.
| "Sonny? There's somebody here for you!" |
Asfur is a political activist and spokesman for Hamas in the West Bank and is not believed to have a military role in the resistance group.
| Well, nobody at the lower end of the bell curve thinks so, anyway... |
Israeli troops have been conducting intensive raids in Balata camp, located near Nablus, since 16 December. "They have also occupied many houses in the camp and in the surrounding areas," added al-Titi. Places of worship have not been spared.
| Well, why would they do that? It's not like the mosques are ever involved in the killings and maimings... Are they? |
On Friday, troops stormed the camp's Ibad al-Rahman mosque for the second time in the operation, searching its interior and scattering its contents. "Clashes continued between Israeli forces and residents, causing more injuries among Palestinians," al-Titi reported. "An atmosphere of high tension prevails among residents of the camp who are prevented from performing their daily activities."
| You don't mean they're seething? Oh, no! |
The Israeli army says that the invasion is part of their campaign to root out "terrorists" in the camp.
| "Terrorists" like to "kill" people. |
On 16 December, occupation troops surrounded the camp and set up snipers. Around 50 residents are reported to have been forced at gunpoint into a single apartment and restrained according to Palestinian media reports.
| I musta dropped this sympathy meter. It's not reacting at all... |
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