Israeli forces detained prominent Hamas spokesperson Sheikh Hassan Yousef in his home in the Occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to a statement from the Palestinian Prisoners Club, a non-governmental organization that says it is dedicated to addressing the concerns of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and detention centers.
“Occupation forces arrested Hamas leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef from his home in Beitunia, as part of a wide-scale arrest campaign in the occupation West Bank,” the statement said.
Who is Sheikh Hassan Yousef: He is a leading Palestinian political figure, serving as the official Hamas spokesperson in the West Bank and holding a seat on the Palestinian Legislative Council. He acted as spokesperson during the first intifada and was a regular guest in international media in 1993. He has been arrested by Israeli forces on several occasions and has spent a total of 24 years in Israeli jails on various charges of incitement, entering Jerusalem without permission and for being a Hamas member.
Just on Wednesday, Yousef participated in a protest in the West Bank, expressing deep admiration for the Palestinian people, and urging unity among all Palestinian factions, according to a video obtained by CNN.
It is unclear what the reasons were for his detention and whether they were related to his remarks during the protest.
At least 120 Palestinians were arrested on Thursday morning, and a total of 850 Palestinians have been detained in the occupied West Bank since October 7, according to the club statement Thursday.
The arrests include lawmakers, prominent figures, journalists, and former detainees who have served extended terms in Israeli jails, it said.
"There is a massive Israeli operation to arrest Palestinians," Mustafa Barghouti, president of the Palestinian National Initiative, told CNN. "And every night, they are conducting more and more arrests. The number of Palestinian prisoners now in Israeli jails is up to 6,300."
Barghouti added, "They’re not charged, they’re not taken to court. They’re no due legal process and that’s what they call administrative detention, including no less than 200 children who are now in Israeli jails.”
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on Yousef's detention.
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