World Bulletin/News Desk

Israeli police said on Sunday that it had detained 20 Arabs from the northern Israel town of Kafr Kanna on the background of Saturday's clashes between Arabs and Israeli policemen.

The clashes had erupted following the killing by Israeli police of a 22-year-old Arab who had allegedly stood in the way of policemen who were in the town to detain another man and assaulted a policeman with a knife.

The clashes have continued to rage in the town until the evening on Sunday, an eyewitness said.

Other clashes broke out in the northern Israel cities of Umm al-Fahm and Nazareth for the same reasons.

Earlier in the day, NGO Palestinian Prisoners Society said the Israeli army had detained 16 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem city.

A general strike was declared in all Arab towns across Israel on Sunday in protest against the shooting of the 22-year-old Arab.

The Islamic Movement in Israel held police responsible for the killing of the man.