RAMALLAH — Hamas movement Friday said that Palestinian security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas arrested 25 of its members in the West Bank in the past two days. The movement said in a press statement that the Palestinian Authority (PA)'s General Intelligence and Preventive Security Services arrested its members in the West Bank cities of Ramallah, Qalqilyah and Nablus. Hamas added that the members were in possession of funds to distribute to hundreds of its prisoners in Israeli jails. Palestinian security sources said that the cell's members were in possession of weapons and explosives. The sources said that the weapons were intended for military attacks against the PA, its leaders and officials, as well as against Israeli targets. Israeli military sources said recently that Hamas has been attempting to rebuild its infrastructure in the West Bank, which is dominated by President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, as means of leveraging the advantages Hamas said it has gained over Israel during recent eight-day aggression on Gaza Strip. The conflict saw 175 Palestinians and six Israelis killed. A senior Hamas official said that the arrests campaigns the PA's security forces launch against his movements member and supporters in the West Bank hinders the possibility of achieving a national unity agreement with rival Fatah movement. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Gaza-based Hamas spokesman, said that the efforts of Fatah party in reconciliation “does not show genuine intention, especially when it comes to the issue of political prisoners.” Abu Zuhri said that “if Fatah wants reconciliation, it should provide a proper circumstance, which means to stop the detentions forever.” Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas consolidated his rule in the West Bank, widening political rift with Gaza besides the geographical split. Since then, Hamas started to crack down on Fatah movement in Gaza, while Abbas' security forces began to crack down on Hamas movement in the West Bank. The development comes as representatives of Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, were meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo the reformation of the PLO and the holding of election for the Palestinian National Council (PNC), the Palestinian parliament in exile. Palestinian sources said that Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mish'al are scheduled to meet in Cairo on Friday in a renewed bid to form a Palestinian unity government that would prepare for new presidential and parliamentary elections in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Mish'al told BBC on Thursday that he was holding discussions with Abbas on the formation of a unity government. He said the discussions were also focused on holding long–overdue presidential and parliamentary elections.
