PA forces detain 16 Hamas supporters in West Bank
Published today (updated) 08/06/2014 20:48
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=703128

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Palestinian Authority security forces detained 16 Hamas
supporters and issued summons to seven others across the West Bank, the
Islamist movement said Sunday.

The arrests came just days after a Palestinian unity government was
inaugurated in Ramallah, based on an agreement between Hamas and the PLO.

In Nablus, PA forces detained 16-year-old Naji Tabouq, 17-year-old Mahmoud
al-Anati, Muhammad Tahsin al-Nimir, Zahi al-Dawwaya, Mahmoud Tabouq,
Muhammad Antar, Said Abu Lawi, Yasan al-Bahsh, Ali al-Bahsh, Tamir Abhu
Shamat, Muhammad Heiron, and Abboud Heiron.

In the Ramallah district, PA forces arrested Sami Thabit from the village of
Shuqba and two men from the Umm al-Sharayit neighborhood of Ramallah.

Meanwhile, in Hebron, PA forces detained Jaafar Naim Misk, the Hamas
statement said.

The PA also sent summons for interrogation to seven other Hamas supporters
in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Tubas, and Qalqiliya, the statement added.

As the unity government prepares to enter its second week, political
detentions threaten to drive a wedge between Hamas and the Fatah-led PLO.

Another point of tension has been the fate of employees formerly employed by
the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas and the PLO, it seems, neglected to reach an agreement on whether the
newly-formed unity government would take over paying the 50,000 employees,
including security officers.

The financial dispute began Wednesday when security officers of the Hamas
government prevented PA employees from withdrawing their salaries, saying
they should not receive their salaries until employees of the former
government did as well.