Israeli forces arrest 12 in West Bank raids

Israeli forces arrested 12 people across the occupied West Bank over the weekend in connection with a spate of deadly attacks inside Israel, a statement said Sunday.

Israel’s army and the Shin Bet domestic security agency said they had conducted “joint counterterrorism activities,” in several West Bank locations, including the flashpoint districts of Hebron and Jenin.

“The forces apprehended a total of 12 individuals suspected of involvement in terror activities over the weekend,” they said.

Among those arrested was an individual suspected of helping his relative Raad Hazem carry out a shooting rampage in a popular Tel Aviv nightlife area earlier this month, which killed three Israelis and wounded more than a dozen others.

Since March 22, 24 Palestinians have been killed across the West Bank, including assailants, as Israel has stepped up operations in what it claims is a response to attacks.

A total of 14 people have been killed in four attacks in Israel in that same period, including another shooting spree in Bnei Brak, an Orthodox Jewish city near Tel Aviv.

Some have been carried out by assailants linked to or inspired by ISIS.