Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    RAMALLAH, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian security forces on Thursday arrested 13 members of rival Hamas in the West Bank, the Islamic movement said.

    "The security services continue detention campaign against the movement's supporters in the West Bank and arrested 13 of them in Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarem, Hebron, Jenin and Salfit," Hamas said in a statement.

    The West Bank security forces, loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, have been cracking down on Hamas since June in response to Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip by force.

    The Hamas statement denounced that "the detentions were carried out mutually between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian security apparatuses."

    According to Palestinian security sources, the Israeli army also nabbed 19 Palestinians in various cities in the West Bank last night.

    Israel Radio said the 19 were detained because they were wanted by the Israeli army for being involved in attacks against Israeli targets.