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JENIN (AFP) - Israeli soldiers arrested a Hamas minister in the Palestinian government during an overnight raid in the West Bank, Palestinian sources said Saturday.

Minister of state Wafsi Qabha was taken from his house here after Israeli troops raided in about 20 jeeps, his wife and Palestinian security sources said.

Israeli forces detained 33 senior Hamas figures in the West Bank on Thursday in what officials from the Jewish state said was a bid to halt rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.

They included education minister Nassereddin al-Shaer, three lawmakers and four mayors, among others.

Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz justified the arrests in the face of international criticism, saying they sent a "message to the military branches of terrorist organisations to stop their rocket fire."

Israel resumed air strikes against Gaza last week as militants fired scores of rockets towards the Jewish state, breaking a six-month truce.

The air strikes have killed 13 civilians and 27 militants, but have failed to halt the rockets. More than 130 have slammed into Israel over the past week, killing a woman and wounding 16 others.

France had already condemned Thursday's detentions, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying they jeopardised the fledgling Palestinian unity government and the possibility of peace talks.