TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Israeli troops Saturday prevented 100 Israeli left-wing activists from helping Palestinians gather their olive harvest, the newspaper Ha'aretz said.
The incident occurred at the village of Azawiyeh, in the northern West Bank, the newspaper said.
The army said it feared a violent confrontation would ensue between the pro-Palestinian groups and Israeli Jewish religious settlers living in the nearby settlement of Eli.
Security forces have declared the area a sealed military zone and will not allow the activists to enter it. Police have so far arrested three of the people who entered the area, Ha'aretz said.
Military sources told the newspaper they had suggested the activists help picking olives in areas that are not threatened by clashes with settlers, but the activists refused.
