Israeli forces have rounded up hundreds of Palestinian men at Tulkarm refugee camp in the West Bank and moved them to an army base, according to sources from both sides.
It was the first mass round-up since Israeli forces began raids on West Bank refugee camps 10 days ago in a military offensive Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says is aimed at smashing bases used by gunmen and bombers for attacks on Israelis.
Palestinian officials put the number of detainees at 640, accused Israel of seeking to terrorise the population and said most fighters at the camp had slipped the Israeli dragnet.
The Israeli army said about 500 men, described as "armed activists", were being held under provisions that allowed them to be detained for up to four days without access to lawyers.
The Palestinian Authority said at least 16 Palestinians, including civilians, had been killed in fighting at the camp since the Israeli raid, backed by tanks and helicopters, began on Thursday. An Israeli soldier has also been killed.
Camp residents said Israeli forces had put out loudspeaker announcements yesterday morning ordering all males aged between 14 and 40 to gather in a square outside a United Nations school.
The army said the men, including dozens from the Palestinian security forces, had been moved for questioning to the Ofer army base near the West Bank town of Ramallah, about two hours' drive from Tulkarm.
"Where there is reasonable proof of terrorist activity, the suspects will be brought to court for a remand hearing or held in administrative detention," a army spokesman said. Suspects can be held without charge in administrative detention for six months.
The head of the .N Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees, Peter Hansen, tried to visit the camp on Friday but said he had been refused access by the army.
An UNRWA statement said Hansen had expressed dismay at "the apparently indiscriminate shooting from helicopter gunships at the camp population". Israel says it does not target civilians.