The Israeli army this morning arrested up to 21 close relatives of Palestinian militants linked to suicide and other attacks in the West Bank.
Sources say the army intends to expel them to the Gaza Strip. It would be the first time since the start of the Palestinian uprising that Israel carried out such a measure of collective punishment, which human rights groups say is forbidden under international conventions.
The army announced the arrest in the north of the West Bank of male relatives of those responsible for a double suicide attack on Wednesday in Tel Aviv and relations of people who staged two attacks on buses near the settlement of Emmanuel.
The army said the homes of two of the attackers had been destroyed.
Israeli state radio said that "21 terrorist fathers and brothers" had been arrested to be expelled to the Gaza Strip.
Israeli foreign minister Mr Shimon Peres said the authorities were now awaiting the green light for the move from government legal adviser Mr Eliakim Rubinstein.
"We have no choice, and terrorism is pushing us to take measures that we would prefer to avoid," Mr Peres said on public radio.
AFP