Israeli police raided two Palestinian bookstores in occupied east Jerusalem on Sunday, confiscating books and arresting one of the owners and his nephew, according to their family members.

An Israeli police raid on a well-known chain of Palestinian bookshops in occupied East Jerusalem and the detention of their owners has shocked many people in the city's cultural, journalistic and diplomatic communities, who have described it as heavy handed and unjustified.

Israeli police have raided a well-known Palestinian bookshop in East Jerusalem, accusing its owners of selling books that incited terrorism, including a children's colouring book entitled "From the Jordan to the Sea".

Israeli police have raided a long-established Palestinian-owned bookstore in east Jerusalem, detaining the owners and confiscating books about the decades-long conflict.

Police say the men were arrested on suspicion of "selling books containing incitement and support for terrorism".

GazaIsraeli police raided two branches of East Jerusalem’s Educational Bookshop on Sunday and detained its owners, prompting outrage among Palestinian and Israeli intellectuals and adding to fears that Israel is cracking down on freedom of expression.

In raiding the Educational Bookshop, police targeted a high-profiled location known to visitors from across the globe. It is a common stop on the itineraries of American Jewish groups visiting east Jerusalem, and sells coffee along with its stacks of literature.

Raid alarms foreign diplomats as court keeps booksellers in custody for another day on charge of disrupting public order by selling texts of 'incitement and support for terrorism'

The police said the stores were selling books that supported terrorism and that two members of the family who owned the business had been arrested. A lawyer said their detention was “political” rather than legal.