The Palestinian government led by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemned on Saturday the Israeli arrest of Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nasser al- Shaer.

Government spokesman Ghazi Hamad slammed the Israeli detention of al-Shaer as part of "an Israeli attempt to undermine the Palestinian political regime and overthrow the elected government. "

"The arrest of Mr. al-Shaer came within the framework of the Israeli aggressions aimed to topple the Palestinian government which was elected by the people," he added.

Israeli forces snatched al-Shaer, who is also a senior Hamas leader, from his home in the West Bank city of Ramallah on early Saturday.

Al-Shaer's wife told reporters that Israeli soldiers broke into their home on early Saturday morning, searched it and took the deputy prime minister away.

Besides al-Shaer, Israel also took into custody several Hamas ministers and over 20 Hamas legislators including Parliament Speaker Aziz Dweik after Palestinian militants kidnapped one Israeli soldier and killed two others on June 25.

The detention of al-Shaer cast shadows on efforts to form a Palestinian coalition government.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas vowed on Friday that no national unity government would be set up as long as Hamas ministers and lawmakers remained in Israeli custody.

The Israeli army continues a massive air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip in a bid to bring home the captive soldier and halt Palestinian rocket fire.

Hamas, which calls for Israel's destruction, has taken the reins of the Palestinian government since late March following a landslide January election victory.

Source: Xinhua