Israel arrests 14 Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli army forces rounded up 14 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to the military on Sunday.

In a statement, the army said Israeli forces arrested nine people in the West Bank for "suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities", but without elaborating on the nature of these activities.

Local residents said five people were arrested in Israeli raids in the city of Bethlehem and four others in Hebron.

The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it detained five Palestinians near the southern Gaza border.

A military statement said the individuals were unarmed and were taken into custody for questioning.

According to Palestinian figures, some 6,400 Palestinians continue to languish in Israeli detention facilities, including scores of women and hundreds of minors.