Israeli forces arrest 50 Palestinians in West Bank raids

By Awad al-Rujoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Israeli forces rounded up 50 Palestinians in raids across the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said on Saturday.

The NGO, however, did not give details about the accusations against the detainees.

On Wednesday, the NGO said more than 1,800 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and Arab towns inside Israel since mid-April.

Tensions flared up in the West Bank on April 13 over an Israeli court verdict to evict 12 Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem in favor of settlement groups.

The tension spread to the Gaza Strip, with Israel launching airstrike across the blockaded territory, killing at least 279 Palestinians, including 69 children and 40 women, and injuring 1,910 others since May 10.

Twelve Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

The fighting, the fiercest in years, came to a halt on Friday under an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara