Israeli soldiers took on Saturday morning three senior Palestinian
Authority officials prisoner after stopping them at a military
checkpoint, near Ramallah city, in the northern part of the West Bank.
The Ramattan News Agency identified the three detainees as Rami Barghouthi, head of the Interior Minister's office, Ala' Al Reemawi, head of Women Affairs at the Palestinian Government, and Mazin Al Reemawi, head of the Hamas Change and reform Bloc at the legislative council.
Khaled Abu Hilal, spokesperson of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, described the arrests as politically motivated acts practices by Israel in an attempt to topple the government and distort the efforts of the Ministry of Interior to maintain security and order in the Palestinian territories.
Abu Hilal added that the attack is part of the continuous Israeli attack against the Palestinian people, their government and their leadership.
