Ramallah, Nov. 1 (Petra) -- Israeli authorities decided Sunday to deport 14 foreign solidarity activists arrested by Israeli police while participating in the olive harvest alongside Palestinian farmers near the village of Al-Lubban Al-Gharbi, northwest of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

The detainees include citizens from seven countries: the US, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Australia, according to Israeli Army Radio.

The station reported that the activists were arrested in an area Israeli authorities described as a closed military zone. It alleged that they had come to the West Bank during the olive harvest to "provoke disturbances and disrupt public order." The Israeli Population and Immigration Authority said Sunday that it had decided to deport all 14 activists, who had entered on tourist visas, after holding hearings.

The authority alleged that they had "violated a military order closing the area" and were suspected of attempting to "disrupt public order." //Petra// HA