Palestinian Authorities Arrest Abdel Aziz Rantisi, One Of Hamas Movement's Leading Figures

On Sunday, Palestinian authorities arrested Adbel Azis Rantisi, the official speaker and one of the leading figures of the Hamas Islamic movement. He is charged with "inciting public disorder". Ismail Abu Shenab, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, said that "the Palestinian authorities had made a big mistake arresting Rantisi at this specific moment in time." Rantisi was arrested Sunday morning in his own house in the Gaza Strip. He was taken to the chief police directorate where interrogators are to question him on account of the statements he had made speaking Friday at a mass meeting held at the Jebalia refugee camp. Among other things, Rantisi accused the Palestinian authorities of resuming contacts with Israel on security-related issues at a time when "Israel was waging ruthless aggression against the Palestinian people." Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement) opposes the peaceful process advocated by the leader of the National Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat.