Israel detains 53 Palestinians in West Bank raids

RAMALLAH, Palestine

The Israeli army rounded up 53 Palestinians in overnight raids across the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian NGO on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said 33 Palestinians were detained during raids on their homes in Issawiya neighborhood in East Jerusalem.

Israeli forces also detained 11 Palestinians in the cities of Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarem.

"Nine more Palestinians were arrested in the central and southern West Bank cities of Ramallah, and Bethlehem,” the NGO said.

The Israeli army, for its part, said its forces had detained 26 people in raids in the West Bank.

In a Tuesday statement, the army said the individuals had been detained for suspected involvement in “terror and violent disorders”.

The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns in the West Bank on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians.

According to Palestinian official figures, more than 6,400 Palestinians are currently held in detention facilities throughout Israel.

The arrests come amid tension in the Palestinian territories following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. Embassy to the holy city.