JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli soldiers arrested more than 50 Palestinians in the West Bank in the hours after a cease-fire with Hamas in Gaza went into effect.
The Israel Defense Forces in a statement called those arrested "terror operatives," and said they were active with terrorist groups operating in the West Bank, mostly Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Among those arrested were a number of senior level operatives, according to the IDF.
"The IDF will continue to operate to maintain order in the area and to prevent the infiltration of terrorists into Israeli communities," the IDF statement said.
There was an increase in the number of violent protests and terrorist events in the West Bank during the eight days of Operation Pillar of Defense, which was aimed at controlling terror emanating from Gaza.
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