Palestinian Police Seize Explosives in W. Bank, Arrest Hamas Activist

Palestinian security forces have arrested a Hamas activist who stashed nearly a ton of explosives in his home, right next to Palestinian police headquarters on the outskirts of Hebron, Palestinian officials said Thursday.

About 1,750 pounds of explosives were seized during Monday’s raid. A resident of the two-story building, Hisham Sharabati, was arrested, a Palestinian intelligence official said.

Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin acknowledged that the Islamic militant group is having trouble making good on threats to carry out attacks against Israelis in retaliation for the killing of two Hamas fugitives by Israeli soldiers last month.

Yassin said Palestinian and Israeli security forces had stepped up their campaign against Hamas. However, a Hamas “response will come at the appropriate time, even if it is delayed,” Yassin told a news conference in Gaza City.

Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated bullets to disperse about 200 Palestinians who lobbed rocks and Molotov cocktails in Hebron on Thursday, witnesses said.

They said at least six protesters were wounded before the troops and Palestinian police pushed demonstrators back into Palestinian-controlled areas of the city.