Israel rounds up Hamas cabinet leaders

AP:

Israeli forces rounded up dozens of Palestinian Cabinet ministers and lawmakers from Hamas, increasing pressure on the Islamic militants to release a captured Israeli soldier, and witnesses said tanks moved into northern Gaza, widening Israel's largest military operation in the year since Israel pulled out of the seaside territory.

Adding to the tension, a Palestinian militant group said it executed an 18-year-old Jewish settler kidnapped in the West Bank. Palestinian security officials said they believed the body of Eliahu Asheri had been found in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Hamas officials said more than 30 lawmakers have been arrested in the West Bank.

Palestinian security officials said Israeli forces detained the Palestinian deputy prime minister, Nasser Shaer, and three other Cabinet ministers, as well as four lawmakers in Ramallah. Several others were arrested in the town of Jenin, they said.

Israeli media reported a roundup of Hamas lawmakers in Jerusalem and other locations.

Also, the Hamas mayor of the West Bank town of Qalqiliya and his deputy were detained, security officials said.

The military refused to comment. Israel blames Hamas for the attack Sunday in which two soldiers were killed and a third captured when militants tunneled under the border and attacked an army post, setting off the invasion.

Before daybreak Thursday, witnesses said Israeli tanks and bulldozers moved into northern Gaza, stopping about 200 yards inside Palestinian territory across from the Jebaliya refugee camp. No clashes were reported. However, the military denied its forces had moved into northern Gaza.

Despite the size of the Israeli operation, with large troop movements, artillery barrages and many airstrikes over two days, no one was hurt.

...

Perhaps they are gathering them for a prisoner exchange. One of the benefits to Israel of having a Hamas government is that it makes it easer to find them.

Israel appears to be further isolating Gaza by moving into the northern part where apparently many of the rockets are fired from. Israeli ships have also fired into the northern Gaza area. So far the operation has been more flash bang than search and destroy. The only dead are Isrealis who were taken prisoner by the Palestinians, however there is no word on the status of the kidnapped soldier.

There has been one report that the palestinians fired a rocket with a "chemical warhead." Since the report was made by "spokesman for the gunmen" according to Reuters, I remain skeptical.

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