Israel arrests 22 Palestinians in West Bank raids

RAMALLAH, 20 Jun 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: Israeli forces detained 22 Palestinians in overnight raids carried out across the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military announced on Wednesday.

The individuals were arrested for “suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities”, the army claimed in a statement without elaborating.

The detainees have been remanded into custody for further investigation, the statement said.

According to official Palestinian figures, some 6,500 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, including 62 women and some 350 minors.

The Israeli army frequently carries out sweeping arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.

The Palestinian territories have remained tense since the U.S. last month relocated its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Occupied by Israel in 1967, East Jerusalem -- which the Palestinians want as the capital of a future Palestinian state -- remains at the heart of the decades-long Middle East conflict.