Hamas deputy minister kidnapped by Fatah gunmen

A deputy Cabinet minister from Hamas was seized today by Fatah gunmen in the West Bank.

Deputy transportation minister Faidi Shabaneh was kidnapped in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Hamas said.

Members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, a violent Fatah offshoot, said Shabaneh was not harmed, denying claims on Hamas websites that he had been killed by his captors.

Hamas said Shabaneh was seized by gunmen after he emerged from his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Shabaneh, a father of five, is from the West Bank city of Hebron. His family said it learned of the kidnapping from the media.

Relatives were gathered around TV sets for updates.