Israeli forces seized a Palestinian cabinet minister and members of parliament in the occupied West Bank today.
The seizures came amid further air strikes in the Gaza Strip as Israel stepped up a campaign against Hamas Islamists.
Israeli troops entered the West Bank city of Nablus and arrested Education Minister Naser al-Shaer of Hamas, according to his wife. Israeli forces also arrested at least three Hamas members of parliament, the mayor and deputy mayor of Nablus and other local Hamas officials, Hamas officials said.
In Gaza, one of the Israeli air strikes hit a car carrying Hamas militants, and other
attacks targeted Hamas's financial network, destroying the offices of at least two Gaza money-changers close to Hamas.
The escalation came hours after Hamas and other groups rebuffed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's call for a halt to cross-border rocket attacks by Gaza militants at southern Israeli towns.
Mr Abbas, whose secular Fatah faction joined a unity government led by ruling Hamas Islamists two months ago, had hoped to convince militants to stop rocket attacks against Israel as part of a renewed ceasefire with the Jewish state.
But a Hamas said Israel's actions showed any ceasefire call by Mr Abbas was "worthless".
The Islamist group and others said they would only consider stopping rocket attacks if Israel first called off all of its military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
Israel has rebuffed similar demands in the past, arguing its West Bank operations are essential to preventing militant attacks.