Israeli forces arrest 9 French activists

Israeli forces have arrested several protesters, including nine French activists, at one of the largest Israeli military checkpoints in Qalandia in the occupied West Bank.

The protesters were rallying on Sunday against the illegal apartheid wall that Israel is building across the occupied West Bank, organizers told AFP.

Israel is building a 400-mile system of fences and concrete walls in and around the occupied West Bank.

Israeli police claim the arrests were made after protesters tried to cross the Qalandia checkpoint north of East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

A spokesman for the French EuroPalestine activist group said nine French citizens were arrested at the demonstration, adding that one Palestinian detained at the protest was later released.

Earlier on Saturday, French activist Layli Ben Saffi was detained by the Israeli military during a protest against Israeli settler activity in the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron).

In another incident in the West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday, Israeli soldiers detained three Palestinians.

One of them was transferred to the Megiddo prison in the occupied West Bank, but the other two were later released.