File photo: Hamas deputy political chief Saleh al-Arouri, after signing a reconciliation deal with senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad, during a short ceremony at the Egyptian intelligence complex in Cairo, Egypt, October 12, 2017. AP
Saleh al-Arouri is the deputy to Hamas Political Chief Ismail Haniyeh. Based in Lebanon, he is a key target for Israel following the October 7 Hamas attack.
Since then, more than 4,300 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been killed in relentless Israeli bombardments, Gaza health ministry figures say.
On the other side, at least 1400 people were killed, according to Israeli officials.
Troops entered Arouri's home in Arura village, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Ramallah, at dawn on Saturday, arresting more than 20 people, including one of his brothers and nine of his nephews, mayor Ali al-Khasib and witnesses told AFP.
Dozens more were pulled in for questioning.
Outside the house, troops put up a banner of the Hamas deputy against the background of an Israeli flag that read: "This was the house of Saleh Arouri and has become the headquarters of Abu al-Nimer -- Israeli intelligence", witnesses said, with images of it widely shared online.
Village residents said Abu al-Nimer was an alias for the Israeli intelligence officer responsible for the area.
In a statement, the army said the raid was jointly staged with the Shin Beth internal security service and resulted in the arrests of dozens, among the arrested are relatives of Arouri accused of being Hamas members. It confirmed using the house "for the detention and questioning of activists".
Israel has accused Arouri, who was named Haniyeh's deputy in 2017, of organising several attacks.
He spent almost 20 years in Israeli prisons and was freed in 2010 on condition that he go into exile.
Israeli forces detained 110 Palestinians within the last 24 hours in the West Bank, raising the number of Palestinian detainees from the West Bank to more than 1070 since the war began in Gaza on 7 October.
Earlier today, Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old boy during an assault on the ancient city of Jericho, east of the West Bank, according to the Ministry of Health.
The killing of Nawaja has raised the number of Palestinians Israel killed in the West Bank to 84 since October 7.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online
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