RAMALLAH, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian lawmaker of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) was arrested by Israeli troops near the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, Palestinian witnesses said.

    Israeli soldiers surrounded Ahmed Mubarak's house in the Jalazon refugee camp, north of Ramallah, said the witnesses, adding that Mubarak, whose cellular phone was seized by Israeli soldiers, was pushed into an army vehicle and taken away.

    It is the second arrest of senior Hamas members around Ramallah this week, Palestinian security sources said.

    On Sunday, Israeli forces detained Hamas spokesman Farahat Asaad in Ramallah.

    In addition, the sources said that Israeli troops had snatched 18 Palestinians including Hamas and Islamic Jihad (Holy War) members in the West Bank town of Jenin in an arrest campaign.

    Israel has vowed to avoid all contacts with the Hamas-led Palestinian government, warning that Hamas leaders remain targets of its military actions.

    Hamas is bent on Israel's destruction, insisting on armed resistance against the Israeli occupation.

    The group won the January Palestinian legislative elections by a landslide and formed a new government last month. Enditem