Israel arrests senior Islamic Jihad leader as tensions rise

Israeli forces arrested a senior Islamic Jihad leader on Monday as tensions with the Palestinian group rise following the destruction of a tunnel in the Gaza Strip last month.

The Israeli army said a "senior operative" was detained overnight in Arraba near Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.

A source with the Islamic Jihad confirmed one of its leaders Tareq Qadan was detained as part of an "arrest campaign".

There were no immediate details on whether others were arrested.

At least twelve Palestinians were killed in an explosion on 30 October after the Israeli army destroyed a tunnel, which it said was in the process of being dug from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, which borders Israel.

Two of the dead belonged to the military wing of Hamas, with the other ten from Islamic Jihad.

Israel is holding the bodies of five militants killed in the deadly tunnel bombing.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned Palestinian groups in Gaza against carrying out attacks in revenge for the operation.

Islamic Jihad had threatened to hit back at Israel over the destruction of the tunnel it says it dug.

The heated rhetoric comes at a sensitive time in Palestinian politics after a recent landmark reconciliation deal between rivals Fatah and Hamas.

The deal was signed last month and aims at ending a ten-year split between Fatah and Hamas.

Islamic Jihad maintains a strong presence in the Gaza Strip and is also present in the West Bank.

Hamas' statements following the tunnel operation have been less forceful as it seeks to follow through on the Palestinian reconciliation accord.