Israel escalates West Bank, Gaza Strip operations against wanted militants

RAMALLAH, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military are escalating its operations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with an apparent purpose to arrest dozens of wanted Palestinian militants.

Israeli troops arrested 39 Palestinians during overnight and early morning raids across West Bank cities, Palestinian security sources said on Wednesday.

The detentions took place in the towns of Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilia and Jenin and the detainees were taken to Israeli interrogation facilities in West Bank settlements and Israeli army bases, according to the sources.

They said that most of the detained are members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements, whom Israel says are wanted for attacking Israeli security forces.

Israel Radio quoted army sources as saying that 19 Palestinians were arrested for being wanted by the army, adding the Israeli army carries out the detentions in the West Bank almost on daily basis.

Early on Wednesday morning, the Israeli tanks and bulldozers, backed by air force, also rolled into al-Qarara village in the east of Khan Younis city in southern Gaza Strip at 2:00 am, local residents said.

An Israeli soldier and a Hamas militant were killed during a four-hour Israeli army ground offensive in the village.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) press office told Xinhua that one IDF soldier was killed and two others were lightly wounded during the overnight raid in the Gaza Strip.

The casualties occurred when an IDF unit carrying out operations in southern Gaza encountered a group of gunmen and exchanged fire with them, said the office.