Hamas Arrests Peace Activists for Interacting with Israelis

Security forces in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip have arrested several Palestinian peace activists for participating in an online conference with Israelis. Officials said the detainees were accused of “holding a normalization activity with the Israeli occupation… [which is] a crime punishable by law and a betrayal of the [Palestinian] people and their sacrifices.” The Gaza-based activists on Monday took part in a virtual meeting on Zoom, during which common issues such as the coronavirus pandemic were discussed with their Israeli counterparts. According to reports, among those arrested was Rami Aman, the main organizer of the web conference and founder of the Gaza Youth Committee. Responding to the incident, a Hamas spokesman said: “The relationship with the Zionist occupation is only a continuing fight until it is forced out of all Palestinian lands.”