The Palestinian Authority's General Intelligence Services (GIS) found and arrested three Palestinians, allegedly planning an attack Saturday night against Israelis in an open area near a village north of Ramallah. The GIS confiscated an M-16 and nine millimeter hand gun from the young men.

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According to Palestinian security sources who spoke to Ynet, the three Palestinians, Basel Mahmoud Alaraj of al-Walaja, Mohammed Abdullah Harb of Jenin, and Haytham Sayaj of Hebron, had mysteriously disappeared from their shared apartment in Ramallah a week and a half ago.

Palestinian security forces, Photo: AP

Hamas condemned the arrest, writing on its official website that the arrest of the three boys "reflects a rise in the frequency of security cooperation between the PA security forces and the occupation to abort the Palestinian Intifada and target the Palestinian resistance."

Despite the recent round of violence and popular Palestinian support for it, the PA security forces have continued security cooperation with Israel. Majid Faraj, the chief of the Palestinian General Intelligence, told Defense News in December that his forces have foiled 200 attacks against Israelis, arrested 100 Palestinians, and confiscated weapons.