This article was originally published by Maan News and is republished with permission.

Palestinian security forces arrested three armed Jewish Israelis in front of the Nativity Church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Saturday.

The three Israelis surrendered immediately and were taken to a security station for questioning.

It is not clear whether the Israelis were civilians or members of Israeli security, military, or intelligence services.

The Palestinian security forces refused to make any official comment on the matter.

On December 24th, the security forces arrested three Palestinians in Bethlehem's central square who were carrying weapons and bags containing security service uniforms.

Undercover Israeli soldiers infiltrated Bethlehem on December 5th, shooting Palestinian security officer Mohammad Salah who attempted to stop them after their car sped through a routine traffic checkpoint.