Ten Hamas officials who "constitute the leading members of the terror organization in Judea and Samaria" were rounded up overnight Wednesday in a major security sweep.
The joint operation by IDF troops and operatives from the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) netted four Hamas legislative council members among the 10 detainees.
"These men have been the leaders of the ongoing effort to restore the administrative branch of the Hamas terror organization in the region, while attempting to strengthen the power and influence of Hamas," said the IDF in a statement.
One of the 10 was former Hamas Palestinian Authority deputy Prime Minister Nasser Shaer, and another is a university professor. Several other legislators have been arrested and released in previous sweeps.
The IDF said that 10 other PA Arab fugitives were picked up overnight as well. All of the wanted men were taken for questioning by security forces.
Gaza-based Hamas official Ahmed Bahar slammed the arrests, which came two days after the terrorist group snubbed what was allegedly Israel's final offer of a prisoner swap for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Bahar called the roundup "immoral blackmail by the Zionist occupation" following Israel's failure to free Shalit.
The Fatah-linked Al Aksa Martyrs' Brigades terrorist organization meanwhile claimed that the Israel Air Force carried out a strike early Thursday morning in central Gaza, killing two of its operatives.
An IDF spokeswoman said she had no information about IAF activity in the area, which was located near the security barrier.