Hamas says 70 of its members have been arrested and 40 summoned for questioning by the Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria during the last month, according to a report by Kol Yisrael government radio. Most of these actions came after Hamas announced it would take part in October's local elections.
Local Hamas members of the PA parliament say that the arrests were intended to dissuade the organization from participating in the elections and intimidate the local population from voting for Hamas, fearing it would win the election.