The Palestinian sources said that the activists were arrested in the West Bank governorates of Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus and Qalqilyah. The sources said that they were arrested after the Israeli security forces carried a thorough search in their houses.

The Israeli security sources said that the raids in Palestinian territories only targeted “wanted Palestinian terrorists.” The sources added that the seventeen were taken to unknown locations for questioning by the Israeli intelligence service Shin Bet.

Israeli defense establishment says the almost daily arrest campaigns in Palestinian territories are part of its war against Palestinian armed groups.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) says that the Israeli raids hinder its security forces to tighten their grip on the Palestinian territories.

Israel does not allow the PA to have any security role in specific areas in the West Bank that the 1993 Oslo peace agreement between the two sides classified as C areas.

The development came days after Hamas a delegation of Hamas leaders led by Mahmoud Al-Zahhar and Khalil Al-Hayyeh left for Damascus to discuss a number of issues with the Hamas leadership including the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange with hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas said that its delegation was supposed to leave for Syria a month ago but the visit was canceled due to the popular revolt in Egypt. It added that the delegation was scheduled to meet German mediator Gerhard Konard in an attempt to reach a prisoner swap deal.

Since December 2009, the German mediator and Egypt had failed to finalize the prisoners’ swap deal between Hamas and Israel due to the two sides’ differences.

Hamas wants Israel to free up to 1,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons in exchange for the release of Shalit, and the Palestinian movement has reportedly presented a list of 450 names in Israeli prisons.

Israel also objects to freeing Israeli Arab prisoners as well as several Hamas military wing leaders. Another issue yet to be settled is Israel's demand to deport almost 100 of the 450 “heavy” prisoners set to be released in the deal.

According to the recent Palestinian statistics, there are 6,700 Palestinians currently held in 10 prisons and 3 detention camps in Israel and in the West Bank. There are 300 prisoners under the age of 18. Israel also holds 37 females and 13 members of the Palestine Legislative Council.