Palestinians arrest Hamas militants

Hamas hinted the arrests were related to Thursday's suicide bombing

The Palestinian security forces have arrested two activists belonging to the Islamic militant group Hamas, which said it carried out Thursday's suicide bombing in Jerusalem.

Israel has stepped up security in the wake of Thursday's bomb

The move comes after renewed international pressure on the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, to act against militants of Hamas and another prominent militant group, Islamic Jihad.

Hamas named the two detained militants as Abdullah and Bilal Barghouti and said they were arrested within the last 48 hours.

The arrests came as Palestinian groups called for a general strike on Monday to protest against Israel's occupation of Orient House, the unofficial Palestinian headquarters in east Jerusalem.

Pressure on both sides

Earlier Mr Arafat called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to end the Orient House occupation.

The vehemence of the protest shows the house's symbolism for Palestinians

The BBC's correspondent in Gaza, Kylie Morris, says that Mr Arafat had previously ignored the international pressure on him to rein in militants from groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

There is strong opposition in the Palestinian territories to such arrests.

People there believe that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is ultimately responsible for violence such as Thursday's pizza restaurant bombing.

Feelings of betrayal

Hamas has responded angrily to the detentions, with one local leader of the group arguing that such arrests should have ended when the intifada began.

He warned that such action by the Palestinian authorities could turn the Palestinian people against each other.

We have the right to go to the Orient House. We have the right to go anywhere we want in Palestine, including Jerusalem

Hanan Ashrawi

Palestinian anger has also been directed at the Israeli occupation of Orient House, with furious demonstrations outside the building earlier on Saturday.

Officers barricaded access and forced back about 100 protesters, including the prominent Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi.

Letter

In a highly symbolic move, Israeli forces had seized Orient House as part of retaliation for Thursday's suicide bomb.

Fifteen people were killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber in Jerusalem

Mr Arafat has sent a letter of protest to the presidents of the United States, Russia and China, as well as to the United Nations and the European Union, according to a spokesman, Saeb Erekat.

The US State Department has criticised Israel for seizing Palestinian political institutions in and around Jerusalem, calling the move "a serious political escalation" of the conflict.

Other Palestinian leaders have also warned that the occupation of the house would intensify the conflict.

Meanwhile, in Gaza two Palestinians, aged 20 and 27, have been buried.

They were shot and wounded on Friday by Israeli troops near the Karni crossing.