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Israel police arrest over 1,500 Palestinians in two weeks amid Gaza tension

In addition, Israeli forces detained 41 Palestinians in overnight raids mostly from occupied East Jerusalem, where potential evictions of families from Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood had triggered recent solidarity protests.

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Israeli forces detain a Palestinian at Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem on May 18, 2021.

Israel has launched a crackdown against hundreds of Palestinians who participated in recent protests against the Israeli aggression with a prison rights group saying more arrests are expected in coming days.

Israeli police arrested 1,550 Palestinians over the past two weeks amid protests against Israel's aggression in occupied West Bank and Gaza.

"The campaign is a direct continuation of police activity in the past two weeks and more than 1,550 suspects have been arrested with about 150 indictments filed," Israeli police said in a statement on Monday.

In addition, Israeli army forces rounded up 41 Palestinians in overnight raids across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) said on Monday.

PPS said in a statement that most of the Palestinian detainees from Monday's arrests were from occupied East Jerusalem.

Amani Sarahneh, a spokesperson for the PPS, said the group has witnessed an increase in the arrest rate and expected more arrests to be reported within the day.

Jerusalem police district commander Doron Turgeman said their arrests included 33 suspects believed to have been involved in incidents of violence recently. In a tweet, he said Israeli police will do whatever they can do to hunt down and bring others who took part in these riots to justice.

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Israeli forces detain Palestinians in front of Jerusalem's Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem on May 18, 2021.

Israel’s attack on Gaza on May 10 followed tensions in occupied Jerusalem, killing at least 248 Palestinians between May 10 and May 20.

Palestinian-majority towns in Israel have been seen multiple protests in recent weeks against Israeli aggression in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli police deployed heavy-handed tactics against Palestinian worshippers in and around Al Aqsa Mosque in the last week of the Muslim month of Ramadan.

Another flashpoint in recent days has been a court case that could end with Palestinian families evicted from occupied East Jerusalem homes in Sheikh Jarrah claimed by Jewish settlers. The potential evictions of Palestinian families drew mass protests held by fellow Palestinians in a show of solidarity.

On Monday, an Israeli soldier and civilian were injured in a stabbing incident near the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The assailant was shot and killed by police, and has not yet been identified.

The Palestinian health ministry said it was "looking into the condition of a citizen who was shot in Jerusalem".

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Israeli forces drag a Palestinian man during a demonstration against Israeli attacks on Gaza and violations in occupied East Jerusalem, on May 18, 2021 in Bethlehem, occupied West Bank.

There has also been a rise in attacks on Palestinians in Israel by right-wing Israelis.

The week of May 10, Israeli far-right groups took to the streets across the country, clashing with security forces and Palestinians. Police said they had responded to violent incidents in multiple towns, including Lod, Acre and Haifa.

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Israeli forces take a Palestinian into custody as Palestinians stage a demonstration against Israeli violations towards Palestinians at Damascus Gate of Masjid al Aqsa Compound in occupied East Jerusalem on May 9, 2021.

Twelve Israelis were also killed in Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza. The fighting, the fiercest in years, came to a halt on Friday under an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.

An Egyptian-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held into a fourth day on Monday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to visit the region this week for talks with Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders.