( CNN ) - Israeli security forces arrested 33 senior members of Hamas during overnight raids in the West Bank and are questioning them, an IDF spokesman said Thursday.
"Among those arrested are the Education Minister (Nasser Al Shaer), the mayors of Nablus and Qalqiliya, members of the parliament and senior activists in the organization," the statement said.
Palestinian Information Minister Mustapha Barghouti condemned the arrests in a statement released Thursday, calling the arrest of elected Palestinian officials "a massacre to Palestinian democracy and civil society."
He said 41 Palestinian legislators are now being held in Israeli jails.
Hamas militants have launched hundreds of Qassam rockets into Israel from Gaza in recent weeks.
Hamas came to power in parliamentary elections in January 2006 after more than a decade of Fatah rule over the Palestinian Authority. But the United States and Israel consider Hamas a terrorist organization, and the European Union joined them in cutting off aid over the group's refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist.
Earlier this week, Israel's top defense official said all options were open as his country tries to halt Hamas' rocket attacks. Those options include possible strikes against Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, who heads Hamas, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said. (Read the full story)
"There is no one in the leading, commanding circle of Hamas who has immunity," Sneh said in an interview Tuesday with Israeli Radio.
"They are just terrorists in suits."
Twenty Islamic Jihad terror operatives, including senior members, were arrested earlier this week in Bethlehem, Israeli security sources said. They were taken for questioning by security forces, the sources said. Islamic Jihad has planned and attempted to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF targets, especially in the Bethlehem area, the sources said.
In addition, six people were wounded Wednesday night in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, the Palestinian Ramattan news agency reported.
The IDF confirmed several of the airstrikes, saying one targeted a car carrying Hamas operatives and others targeted businesses in Gaza that have been transferring funds from Iran, Syria and Lebanon to support Hamas and other organizations.
"Millions of dollars have been transferred each month to terror organizations in the Gaza Strip, which has enabled the purchase and manufacture of weaponry and the carrying out of attacks against Israeli civilians, including Qassam launchings," the IDF said in a written statement.
Early Wednesday, Israeli military forces "briefly" penetrated deep into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis to conduct an operation "to prevent terror activity," an army spokesman told CNN.
During the operation several people were detained temporarily, he said.
According to Palestinian security sources, seven farmers were arrested, then released.