Islamist women demand Hamas release Gaza detainees
Salafist activists were reportedly picked up on suspicion they had fired rockets into Israel
Hamas police broke up a protest of Salafist women on Saturday in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah. According to AFP, some 30 veiled women, along with children, demanded the release of members of the Islamist movement who were arrested by Hamas on suspicion that they had fired rockets into Israel.
One woman reportedly held a banner that read, “Where are human rights organizations when our children are arrested?”
Hamas has reportedly been trying curb the rocket fire from the territory, and has even sent calming messages to Israel to the effect that it is working to uphold the ceasefire by, among other measures, arresting members of factions that have been shooting rockets.
Last Thursday, the organization’s security apparatus reportedly arrested two members of a hard-line Salafist group in Gaza in connection with rocket attacks on Israel on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Internal security apparatus in the last two days arrested two mujahedeen,” an anonymous Salafist source told AFP on Thursday.
“One was released after several hours. The other is still detained,” he added, and said the arrests were a “campaign to pursue Salafists after the targeting of Israel with rockets.”
However, according to the report, Hamas denied that any arrests had taken place.
“Our security apparatus is part of the resistance and does not arrest anyone who resists the occupation. On the contrary, we encourage resistance,” the Hamas Interior Ministry spokesperson said.