Israel arrests dozens of Hamas activists

Israeli security forces Tuesday night raided the West Bank city of Nablus, arresting 29 Hamas activists amid fears of increased activity by the organisation in the West Bank.

A statement by Israel's Shin Bet internal security service said that in a joint operation with military and police, hundreds of soldiers raided Nablus early Wednesday morning, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Among the detainees are high ranking Hamas members and former prisoners who became involved again in Hamas activity," the statement said.

A military source told Israel's Ynet website news that the Israeli forces entered the city from several different entrances, with over 50 army vehicles, and arrested activists across Nablus, including in the Balata refugee camp outside the city.

According to Palestinian security officials, 34 Palestinians in the West Bank, including university teachers and journalists, were arrested by the Israeli army.

Most of those arrested are former prisoners who were released in the last prisoners' swap deal, brokered by Egypt in 2011 between Israel and the Hamas movement, the Palestinian security officials said.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club Association in Ramallah said in an emailed press statement that the Israeli army arrests in Nablus area "is an avenge operation aimed at restricting the activities of university teachers".

The Shin Bet did not say if there were individual suspicions against the detainees but charged that they "were funded and orchestrated by a Hamas overseas headquarter".

The Shin Bet added that the arrests came amid growing activities of Hamas in the West Bank. The organisation, which already controls the Gaza Strip, has "increased its efforts in the Nablus area in order to carry out terror attacks against Israel", it said.

The raid came a day after the Shin Bet announced the arrest of two Hamas activists, who allegedly planned to carry out a shooting attack on a military checkpoint east of Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday of Purim in March.

The arrests also came as the Palestinians are preparing to mark the Palestinian Prisoners' Day scheduled on April 17. According to official figures, there are more than 5,000 Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails and prisons.

Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has controlled it ever since.