Israeli security forces arrested Rafat Nassif, a senior Hamas official in the West Bank, in an overnight raid in Tulkarm, the IDF said Monday morning.
The arrest comes while Hamas is holding elections for the leadership of the organization in the West Bank under a cloak of secrecy, fearing Israel and the Palestinian Authority would arrest its top officials.
Nassif, who was recently released from prison, was one of 14 wanted suspects arrested overnight, nine of whom are suspected of being involved in terror activity and rioting.
IDF and Shin Bet forces also seized thousands of shekels in Bethlehem that intelligence indicated were earmarked as rewards for Palestinian families to encourage terror activity.
Meanwhile in Gaza, Hamas continued on Sunday to investigate the death of its senior commander Mazan Fukha ,who was assassinated on Friday night.
In an effort to stop Fukha's assassins or their accomplices from leaving the Gaza Strip, Hamas closed all border crossings ,barred fishermen from going out to sea and reinforced its security forces presence along the strip's borders—essentially blocking all exits from the enclave to both Palestinians and all other nationals.