The Israeli army forces arrested 18 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Wednesday, witnesses and security sources said.

They said that Israeli troops launched a predawn raid on the Askar refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus and detained eight people after searching their houses.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian security spokesman said that Israeli soldiers had shut down the main Gaza Strip road of Salah el Dein to prevent the Palestinian traffic on the road.

Israel Radio reported that Israeli soldiers tightened security on the road leading to the Jewish settlements of Gush Katif where tens of thousands of Israelis are due to stage a mass rally Wednesday in protest against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan to withdraw settlements from Gaza and part of the West Bank this summer.

Source: Xinhua