The occupation army continues a campaign of raids and arrests in several areas in the West Bank, threatening the leaders of the Islamic Jihad movement "wherever they are", while Palestinian forces call for a "day of rage" on Friday.
The Palestinian Prisoners Club said that the Israeli occupation forces arrested 9 Palestinians in different parts of the West Bank last night and early Wednesday, as the arrests were concentrated in Bethlehem.
The Prisoner's Club added that among the detainees was a leader of the Islamic Jihad movement and the former prisoner Firas Hassan, who was arrested by the occupation forces at a military checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Bethlehem.
The number of West Bank martyrs has risen since Tuesday to 4, after the death of 16-year-old Moamen Jaber, who was shot by the Israeli occupation during clashes in the Bab al-Zawiya area of Hebron in the southern West Bank.
This comes as Palestinian forces called for a "day of rage" on Friday, denouncing the Israeli army's practices against the Palestinian people.
For its part, Amnesty International said that Israel imposes a harsh apartheid regime that stifles all Palestinians.
She added that Israel has launched 4 devastating aggressive attacks on the Gaza Strip since 2008, and that its blockade is "continuous and illegal."
diplomatic efforts
Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh warned of the dangerous situation in the Palestinian territories in light of the political vacuum, the world's preoccupation with other issues, and the absence of accountability for the occupation for its crimes and violations.
During his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish city of Konya on the sidelines of the participation in the opening of the Islamic Solidarity Games in its fifth edition, Shtayyeh stressed the importance of full support from brotherly and friendly countries to Palestine's quest for full membership in the United Nations, in addition to supporting the achievement of national reconciliation. And international pressure on the Israeli occupation government to allow elections to take place in Jerusalem.
Shtayyeh valued Turkey's support for Palestine, and stressed the need to mobilize more political and financial efforts to support Jerusalem and its institutions.
Gantz: Islamic Jihad leaders are not safe wherever they are (Getty Images)
Israeli threat
In contrast, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that Israel would respond forcefully if the calm in the south was breached.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted Gantz as saying that the leaders of the Islamic Jihad movement "are not safe wherever they are," and said that "all heads of terrorist organizations should live in anxiety."
Israeli Minister of Internal Security Omer Bar-Lev and military officials also confirmed the continuation of operations in all areas of the West Bank and their readiness to repeat the Gaza scenario.