The Israeli army has arrested Marwan Barghouti, a leader of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah regarded by Israel as the top militant in the West Bank. Barghouti is a member of both the Fatah revolutionary council and the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Israel has accused Barghouti of leading Fatah-affiliated bombers and gunmen behind scores of attacks against Israelis. Barghouti has denied the allegations. Israeli officials said late today that he would be tried.
Sought by Israel since it launched a West Bank offensive on March 29, Barghouti was found in an apartment in the city of Ramallah and arrested by the army.
He is the highest-ranking Fatah activist detained by Israel since the start of the campaign, which the army says is aimed at uprooting terrorism.
"He led an apparatus that sent people to attack Israel," Israeli Communications Minister Reuven Rivlin told Army Radio after news of the arrest.
