Israeli security forces arrested four Israeli Arabs involved in a recent bomb attack in northern Israel, Israeli public radio reported today.
Three of them "are only 16 years old," Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon's office said in a statement.
They were arrested near Deir Hanna, an Israeli Arab village, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Nazareth, the radio said, adding that they had been recruited by "tanzims" from the northern West Bank town of Jenin.
"Tanzim" is Israel's term for armed groups linked to Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.
The members of the cell were involved in the August 31 bomb attack at the Golani crossroads which caused no injuries, the radio added.
Mr Sharon's office said: "Palestinian terrorist organisations had not hesitated to recruit among minors to make them carry out attacks, regardless of their age or the dangers they were exposed to."
A senior Shin Beth (internal security services) official said on condition of anonymity: "There is a real danger in the connection between the Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, and Palestinian terrorists can very easily recruit young Israeli Arabs for terror acts in Israel."
AFP