Raid (archive)
Raid (archive)Flash 90

The Israeli army carried out raids in Ramallah on Tuesday, the first such operation since the Palestinian Authority cut security coordination with Israel, a Palestinian Authority official told AFP.

"Israeli forces entered Ramallah before dawn," interior ministry spokesman Ghassan Nimr said, noting that "three houses were searched" in the city but no arrests made.

The PA is headquartered in Ramallah and the city is nominally under full Palestinian Authority control, but the Israeli army has carried out numerous raids there.

A security source said Israeli soldiers arrested a 20-year-old man in Al-Amari near the city.

The incursion sparked clashes between residents and Israeli soldiers, who responded to stone-throwing with tear gas, the source added.

The Israeli military confirmed an arrest was made in the refugee camp, but a spokeswoman told AFP that the army "did not enter Ramallah overnight".

The raids were the first since the PA announced mid-May that it was ending security coordination with Israel, the interior ministry spokesman said.