Palestinian security forces arrested 10 members of the Islamic Jihad in the Jenin refugee camp on Monday, a local leader of the radical movement said.

Ghassan Sa'adi, head of the Islamic Jihad in the Jenin refugee camp, located in the occupied West Bank, told AFP he did not know why they had been detained.

Palestinian security officials confirmed the arrests, but refused to provide further details.

Islamic Jihad believes in armed struggle against Israel and enjoys more freedom in Hamas-run Gaza Strip than in the West Bank, which is run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.

Formed in 1980, the Iran-inspired group was the first Palestinian Islamist organisation to take up arms against Israel.