Hamas PLC bloc: Israeli detention of MPs illegal

GAZA, (PIC)-- The Hamas-affiliated change and reform parliamentary bloc has described the Israeli occupation authority's detention of legitimately elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Council as "illegal". The bloc in a statement late Friday said that the new IOA wave of arrests in line of Palestinian lawmakers almost two weeks ago constituted a desperate attempt to pressure the captors of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to release him in accordance with IOA conditions. The Palestinian resistance would not be weakened by such pressures but would continue to insist on national constants and rights. The IOA held three Hamas MPs, former deputy premier, director of the PLC office in Ramallah, university professor and two Hamas leaders in administrative custody for six months shorlty after Israeli premier Ehud Olmert declared failure of the negotiations over a prisoners' swap deal with the Palestinian factions capturing Shalit. Hamas charged the IOA with foiling the deal because of its refusal to release all prisoners on Hamas's list. The bloc urged the Arab parties, parliamentary blocs and legal organizations to adopt practical stands to counter the IOA practices against West Bank lawmakers on the international and legal levels. It also asked for prosecuting the Israeli war criminals and breaking the international silence vis-à-vis the IOA growing oppression and arrogance.