Israelis arrest 10 Palestinians

Two militants were killed prior to the arrests

Israeli troops have arrested 10 Palestinians in the West Bank, including six men thought to be members of the militant Islamic Jihad group.

Three of the suspected militants were detained in the town of Jenin and the other three in Hebron.

Four other Palestinians were separately arrested for possession of rifles.

Friday's arrests came after two militants were reportedly killed in attacks in Gaza and the West Bank.

Last month around 70 Islamic Jihad members were arrested, after the group said it carried out attacks on Israeli targets.

Camp clash

One militant was killed overnight in a clash with Israeli soldiers outside the West Bank city of Nablus.

Late on Wednesday, the Islamic Jihad group said that one of its members had been killed during an attack on the Morag settlement in southern Gaza.

The latest violence comes about a month before Israel plans to start withdrawing settlers from Gaza.

In the Nablus incident, Israeli military sources said troops fired on two gunmen in the Balata refugee camp as they tried to attack Jewish worshippers.

In the Morag attack, Israel's army said that three men approached the perimeter fence under cover of darkness and then opened fire.

Israeli soldiers said they shot back at the attackers. They said they hit two of the militants and that the attack broke down.

There were no Israeli casualties.

Soon afterwards, Islamic Jihad said that its men had carried out the assault and that one had died.

The BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza says the Israelis are determined that it should not look like they are retreating under fire as they prepare to withdraw settlers from Gaza.

They have warned that if the militants attack during the weeks that they are withdrawing, the army will hit back with huge force.