A number of Palestinian Arabs have been arrested in Judea and Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”) for violating Islamic law concerning the holy month of Ramadan by eating and drinking during daylight hours, reported The Associated Press.

The regime of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has established a special “morality police” to enforce public compliance with Islamic precepts. The new force is seen as a response to claims by the rival Hamas government in Gaza that Abbas' Fatah movement has no authority as a Muslim entity.

It was unclear from reports how local Palestinian Christians are being affected by the crackdown.