Israel Detains 37 More Palestinians in West Bank Crackdown
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Israel's army said it detained another 37 Palestinians overnight as it searched for three missing teenagers in the West Bank.
There were no reports of clashes between the soldiers and Palestinians in the raids in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the military says it has detained 361 people since the Israeli students went missing on June 12.
The crisis has stepped up tensions in the West Bank which, along with east Jerusalem and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Palestinians want as part of a future state, Reuters reported.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said the latest operations took place in Jenin, a militant stronghold, and in the Hebron area.
"As part of on-going operations, (Israeli) forces detained 37 suspects and searched 80 locations," the spokeswoman said.
Palestinian officials said Israeli soldiers also entered Bethlehem and Nablus.
Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the disappearance of the students - Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Fraenkel, both aged 16, and Eyal Yifrah, 19.
Hospital officials in the West Bank said four Palestinians have been killed during clashes with Israeli forces since the search for the teenagers began.