Israeli forces have seized Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nasser al-Shaer in a raid on his home in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

He was held when troops burst into the house early on Saturday, his wife said.

The Israeli military confirmed the detention of Mr Shaer, who is a senior member of the governing Hamas movement, which does not recognize Israel.

Israel has detained about 30 MPs and a third of the cabinet since the capture of an Israeli soldier in June.

Mr Shaer's wife added that he had been in hiding since Israel began its crackdown in late June.

He was rarely home during that period, she said.

An unnamed Israeli army spokesman quoted by AFP news agency said the detention was "part of our fight against the radical Hamas movement".

'Sorry, madame'

According to the detained man's wife, "several" jeeps circled the house before dawn after which troops came to the door.

An officer told her after checking their identity documents: "Sorry madame, but your husband has to come with us".

"He let him first say goodbye to our four children," she told Reuters news agency.

Israel's crackdown has largely focused on the Gaza Strip, Hamas's stronghold, but politicians from the Islamist movement have also been detained in the West Bank.

Its position is that Hamas is a terrorist organization and its leaders are therefore "targets for arrest".

Photo Caption

Palestinian PM, Ismael Haniya