The Israeli army on Thursday re- arrested a senior Islamic Hamas movement leader released last October in a prisoner swap agreement, a move that Hamas considers a violation of the deal by the Jewish country.

Well-informed Palestinian sources said an Israeli army force arrested Majdi al-Ajouli on Thursday in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem and that the army force claimed the senior Hamas leader was wanted by the Israeli security forces.

Earlier this week, the Israeli army forces arrested Yousef Shtaiwi and Adnan Sleem in the West Bank city of Qalqilia. Shtaiwi and Sleem were also released under the Egyptian-brokered swap deal, which saw the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit freed in return for the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Earlier in February, the Israeli army forces held several released prisoners in the West Bank for hours of questioning before setting them free. Hamas leaders said re-arresting the freed prisoners in Shalit's deal "is a big strike to the deal."

"The arresting campaigns of the freed prisoners is a clear breach of the deal and a provocation of Hamas movement and the Palestinian people. Israel is challenging the Egyptian mediator, who brokered the deal. In general, it is a declaration of war on our people," said Hamas leader Salah al-Bardaweel.

The leader threatened that his Hamas movement "would make the enemy regretting what it did," adding that Hamas would carry out measures to face the Israeli challenge. He called on Egypt to respond to Israel and urge it to stop the violation of the agreement.

Hamas released Shalit, who was abducted in a cross-border raid on an Israeli army base southeast of the Gaza Strip in June 2006, for the release of 1,000 male and 27 female prisoners from the Israeli jails. The deal, which was brokered by Egypt, was implemented in two phases in October and December.

Right after the Palestinian prisoners were released, Israeli army and Israeli security officials threatened to target them in case they renew their activities against Israel's security.

Well-informed Hamas sources, who spoke in conditions of anonymity, told Xinhua that the recent Israeli measures against the freed Palestinian prisoners included questioning them in detention camps and army roadblocks in the West Bank.

Zeyad Abu Ein, director general of the Palestinian ministry of prisoners' affairs in the West Bank told Xinhua that the Israeli measures against the freed Palestinian prisoners "indicate that Israel is not honoring its words."

"The Israeli measures against the freed-Palestinian prisoners are a clear and a severe violation of the agreements," Abu Ein said, adding that there were some loopholes in the agreement signed with Hamas that allows Israel to carry out such measures against the Palestinians.