The head of Hamas today rejected a call by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to halt attacks on Israeli civilians in the run-up to Israel’s January 28 election, and suggested his Islamic militant group might kidnap Israelis as ransom for Palestinian prisoners.The Hamas leader, Sheik Ahmed Yassin was speaking after a meeting with human rights activists and the Palestinian Authority official dealing with Palestinians held in Israeli jails.More than 8,000 Palestinians are in Israeli custody, most rounded up in military offensives in the past year. More than 1,000 are held in so-called administrative detention, without charges or trial — the highest number in more than a decade. In the mid- and late 1990s, many Palestinians were held for anti-Israeli activities and were released as part of interim peace deals.However, Israeli jails began filling up again after the September 2000 outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting. In the past 28 months, Palestinian militants carried out scores of bombings and shootings against Israelis.During the first Palestinian uprising, between 1987-1993, Hamas kidnapped several Israeli soldiers to press for the release of Palestinian prisoners, as none were released Hamas killed its captives.Meanwhile, the Palestinian minister for prisoners Hisham Abdelrazak said today confirmed that 8,000 Palestinians are being held by Israel, mostly without trial.‘‘The number of Palestinians detained has passed 8,000 since the occupation forces have increased their arrests and searches,” Abdelrazak said.‘‘Our people and the Palestinian Authority reject any plan to resolve the conflict which does not include the liberating of our prisoners,’’ he said, referring to a peace roadmap drawn up by major diplomatic powers to resolve the 27 months of bloodshed.He called on the international community to intervene, to obtain their immediate release and not to judge them, because they are prisoners of war.
