IDF Gets Tough, Rounds Up Hamas Politicians in Judea and Samaria

The IDF Sunday night resumed a crackdown on Hamas politicians active in Judea and Samaria and arrested nine senior Hamas legislators.

Soldiers also took into custody at least 18 other PA terror suspects.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' security forces officially are supposed to be tackling terrorism in Judea and Samaria, but the IDF usually does the actual work and saves Abbas from accusations that he is trying to weaken Hamas, a growing threat to his regime.

The large-scale arrest of Hamas legislators, an operation that has not taken place for months, indicates the escalation of Hamas' activity in the Palestinian Authority.

The IDF and security officials last week rounded up a Hamas terrorist cell operating in the Hevron area and which was n contact with a senior terrorists deported to Qatar in the exchange of more than 1,000 terrorists for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit more than a year ago.

Among the suspects who were arrested overnight was one terrorist. Soldiers also confiscated his weapon, which security officials said was used in several recent shooting attacks on Jews.