More than 50 Palestinians arrested in Jerusalem for rioting

At least 57 Palestinian Arabs were arrested in various parts of east Jerusalem overnight for recent riots and protests, the Israeli police said Wednesday.

Massive demonstrations erupted in the city following the death of a Palestinian teen who was murdered in retribution for the killing of three Jewish teens by militants in the West Bank early last month, Xinhua reported.

Violence has soared during the month-long fighting between Israel and Islamic militants led by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which claimed the lives of nearly 2,000 Palestinians and 67 Israelis.

All 57 suspects were involved in recent riots which had injured over 40 Israeli police officers, Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said, adding that indictments are expected to be filed against the suspects in the near future.

The latest arrests bring to the total number of 550 Palestinians arrested so far as part of an ongoing police operations to crack down on the rioters.