Gaza, Sep 18 (IANS): Israeli forces Thursday detained seven Palestinians from the West Bank, sources said.

They arrested four Palestinians from Bethlehem, and three from Jenin, MENA news agency cited a Palestinian security source as saying.

On Tuesday, Jerusalem police and border patrol officers arrested 22 Palestinians on suspicion of rioting in east Jerusalem in recent days.

The detained Palestinians were accused of throwing firebombs at the Abu Tor neighbourhood and at security forces.

Violence in Jerusalem's Arab neighbourhoods has risen dramatically since the murder in late June of a 16-year-old Palestinian youth by an Israeli extremist, apparently in retribution for the abduction and killing of three Jewish teenagers in the West Bank that same month.

After 50 days of intense shelling and clashes, Israel and Gaza agreed to a ceasefire Aug 26 with Egypt acting as a mediator. Both parties are set to begin negotiations for lifting the Israeli blockade of Gaza within 30 days.