Israeli arrests 19 Palestinians in West Bank raids

RAMALLAH: Israeli forces rounded up 19 Palestinians in overnight raids carried out across the occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian NGO on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said seven people were arrested in Israeli raids in the cities of Bethlehem and Hebron in the southern West Bank.

Six more Palestinians, including two minors, were detained in the cities of Nablus and Tubas, it said.

Israeli forces also arrested six people in raids in the towns of Abu Dis and Ezariya near Jerusalem, the NGO said.

The Israeli military, for its part, said the individuals were arrested for "suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities and violent disorder", without elaborating.

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

According to estimates, more than 6,000 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli detention facilities, including women, children and a handful of lawmakers.