Israel frees deputy prime minister of Hamas

? Israel on Wednesday released the Palestinian deputy prime minister, the highest-ranking of more than 30 officials in the Hamas-led government jailed as part of a crackdown on the Islamic militant group.

The detention of much of the Hamas-led government has been a major sore point in rapidly deteriorating relations between Israel and the Palestinians since Hamas took power.

Nasser Shaer, who was held without charge for more than a month, was ordered freed by an Israeli court, which banned him from going to his government office in the West Bank city of Ramallah for two weeks.

Shaer said Wednesday he was not mistreated in jail, but added: “There is nothing dearer than being free. They came and took me from my house in front of my children, wife and family. They had no reason to do it.”

Israel and the West, labeling the violent Islamic movement a terror group, have cut off funding to the Palestinian government, plunging the Palestinian areas into a deep financial crisis.