Hamas condemns Israeli arrest of candidates running in Palestinian legislative elections

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GAZA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Hamas, ruler of the Gaza Strip, condemned on Tuesday the Israeli arrest of its candidates in the West Bank who run in the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections.

Hamas said in a statement that an Israeli army force arrested its candidate, Naji al-Aasi, from his home in the West Bank city of Ramallah, adding al-Aasi is the second of its candidates Israel has arrested in a week.

Last week, the Israeli army arrested Hassan al-Wardeyan, also a candidate running on Hamas list in the Palestinian legislative elections, from his home in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

Representatives of the Hamas list that will run in the legislative elections held a news conference in Ramallah on Tuesday to condemn the Israeli arrests, calling for an international intervention to stop the Israeli violations.

Alaa Hmaidan, spokesman of these representatives, told reporters that the Hamas list will not retreat from the democratic battle, noting the Palestinians "will say their word through the ballots despite the Israeli arrests and violations."

"Besides the arrests of the two candidates in the list, the Israeli occupation forces stormed the home of a third candidate in the West Bank city of Jericho and threatened his family," Hmaidan said.

He called on the European Union and other countries to exert more pressure on Israel to stop its intervention in the Palestinian elections and protect the Palestinian democratic rights.

Last week, the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (PCEC) announced that 36 electoral lists have got registered for the legislative elections.

Among the 36 lists are Hamas and the ruling Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In January, Abbas announced that the 2021 general elections will include the legislative elections on May 22, the presidential elections on July 31, and the elections of the Palestinian National Council, the highest decision-making body of the Palestine Liberation Organization, on Aug. 31.

The last Palestinian presidential elections were held in March 2005, and the legislative elections in January 2006. Enditem

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