In what the Palestinian government is calling an attempt to undermine
the release of its 73 ministers and mayors from Israeli prison camps,
Israeli forces invaded the Palestinian city of Ramallah early Friday
morning and abducted the Minister of Public Works, Abdel Rahman Zidan,
from his home.
Zidan is one of seven Palestinians taken from their homes by Israeli troops in early-morning raids Friday — mainly members of the ruling Hamas party.
Israeli military spokesmen stated that the Minister is being taken in for 'questioning', but didn't indicate the topic of the interrogation, or if charges will be brought against him.
All seizures of Palestinians by Israeli troops are illegitimate under the Fourth Geneva Convention, and a violation of Israel's obligations as the occupying power over Palestine.
Zidan has been acting Minister of Local Government in Palestine since the Minister of Local Government, Issa Al-J'abari, was abducted by Israeli forces several months ago.
Eyewitnesses reported that dozens of Israeli troops, jeeps and armored vehicles invaded the Palestinian city in the early morning hours Friday, surrounded the home of Al-Sha'er, and took him away as his wife and children watched in horror.
The Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Dr. Nasseruddin Al-Sha’er described the latest abduction as yet another attempt by Israel to undermine the democratically-elected Palestinian government, and to backtrack on a prisoner-release agreement in which the nine ministers, 41 legislators, and other government employees captured by Israeli forces in several raids beginning in June, are slowly being released.
Minister Zeidan is a member of the Hamas party, who was elected in January as part of the Hamas Party's 'Change and Reform' list of candidates. He was educated in Alabama University, in the United States.
