21 Palestinians arrested in Israeli police raid in East Jerusalem

Israeli security forces arrested on Monday dozens of Palestinians in East Jerusalem for alleged "rioting," in the largest raid since violent clashes broke out over the city's most sensitive holy site last week.

"In an overnight operation in East Jerusalem, police and Border Police arrested 21 (Palestinians) suspected for disturbance," a police spokesperson said in a statement.

The official Palestinian new agency WAFA reported that 19 of the detainees were minors.

Jerusalem District Police Commander, Brigadier General Avshalom Peled, told Israel Radio that hundreds of policemen were deployed near the Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, after a week of repeated clashes between Palestinians and the police.

He said that most of the violence is not directed at civilians but at the police. "Most of the incidents of stone throwing and Molotov cocktail throwing occur against security forces," Peled said, adding that the incidents are being "contained and handled within East Jerusalem."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that measures against Palestinian stone-throwers in Jerusalem will be further toughened, including new rules allowing live sniper fire against them, heavier penalties and mandatory minimum sentences.

The wave of Palestinian unrest began on Sept. 13 as Israeli security forces stormed in the al-Aqsa mosque compound to prevent Palestinian youth from harassing far-right Jews, who wished to visit the site on the occasion of the Jewish New Year.

The site is holy to Muslims and Jews. Palestinians see these visits as a provocation. Endit