Israeli forces arrested 13 Palestinians in separate raids in the occupied West Bank and in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said on Wednesday.
Six of the detainees were arrested in raids that the Israeli army regularly launches in the West Bank, the sources said. Five were arrested in Hebron and one in Jericho. Israeli sources said the six were wanted by the Israeli intelligence.
Meanwhile, seven Palestinians were arrested when the Israeli forces rolled into central Gaza Strip and killed six Hamas fighters in significant violation of a June ceasefire.
Witnesses said that Israeli army bulldozers destroyed two houses, near the border fence between Israel and Gaza in the east of Deir al-Balah city, and arrested seven members of al-Hamaida family that owns the houses.
The Israeli army rolled Gaza to destroy a tunnel that it said was being dug to abduct soldiers near the border with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
A Hamas militant was killed when he clashed with the forces and Israeli helicopters fired at a group of fighters which came to back the militant, killing six of them.
The violence threatens the future of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire supposedly expires on Dec. 19. The agreement was intended to ease the blockade that Israel imposed on Gaza last year in exchange for halting Hamas' attacks against southern Israel communities.
Hamas has been committed to the ceasefire and told Egypt that it would maintain the deal if the "Israeli aggression" stopped at this point, local media reported, quoting Hamas sources.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article