Army Says It Has Arrested More Than 4,000 Palestinians

JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli military said Thursday it has arrested more than 4,000 Palestinians in its two-week offensive in the West Bank - nearly double the figure announced two days earlier.
Of those taken into custody, 121 were on Israel's wanted list, the military said. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said several hundred wanted men were among those detained.

In sweeps through Palestinian towns and villages, Israeli troops have ordered teen-age boys and men to assemble in schoolyards and other outdoor areas for questioning. Others have been arrested in house-to-house searches.

The military said that 4,185 Palestinians have been arrested since the start of "Operation Defensive Shield," which was launched March 29 in response to a string of Palestinian suicide attacks on Israeli civilians.