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Palestinian politician arrested

Israeli troops have arrested Palestinian parliament speaker and Hamas member Aziz Dweik during a wave of arrests linked to a massive manhunt for three kidnapped teenagers, the military says.

In a statement on Monday the army said it had arrested more than 40 suspects in the West Bank, “including Hamas leadership and operatives”, with a military spokeswoman confirming to AFP that the speaker was among those arrested overnight.

Israeli troops early on Monday shot dead a 19-year-old Palestinian in Jelazoun refugee camp near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian medical and security sources said.

Ahmad Arafat was shot in the chest during clashes with the Israeli army as it conducted arrests in the camp as part of its massive manhunt for the three missing youths, the sources said.

The Israeli military could not immediately comment.

PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-KIDNAP

Palestinian vehicles stopped at an Israeli roadblock. Photo: Getty.

The army says more than 150 Palestinians have been arrested in the search for the teens who were snatched from the Gush Etzion settlement bloc in the southern West Bank on Thursday night, with Israel pointing the finger at Hamas.

So far, there has been no formal claim of responsibility.

Amani Sarahna, spokeswoman for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Prisoners Club, told AFP that 60 people were detained overnight but said the wave of arrests was “still ongoing” in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

“IDF efforts are focused on enabling operational capabilities, enhancing intelligence and influencing those that participated, are involved or have knowledge of the whereabouts of Gilad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Ifrah,” said a statement from Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, the army’s official spokesman.

“We are determined to bring them home and bring the perpetrators of their abduction to justice.”

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