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BEERSHEBA (Ma'an) -- An Israeli court in Beersheba on Monday extended the detention of three Palestinian minors who were detained after clashes with police last week in the Bedouin town of Rahat, a Ma'an reporter said.

The three were identified as Haitham al-Qasasi, 17, Muhammad al-Katanani, 15, and Issa Abu Ltayyif, 13.

Beersheba's magistrate had initially ruled for their release on conditions, including being deported from Rahat.

But the prosecution presented an appeal for the magistrate court to extend their detention until Feb. 8 and the court accepted the appeal.

Al-Qasasi was hit by an Israeli police vehicle on Jan. 21, sustaining light-to-moderate injuries before being taken into custody.

The arrests came amid protests in the wake of the police killing of Sami al-Jaar, 22, who was shot dead while standing on the patio of his home during clashes between police and local youths in the neighborhood. Tensions heightened when 42-year-old Sami Ibrahim Zayadna died after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli police at mourners during al-Jaar's funeral.

Many Bedouins were forcibly settled by the state of Israel in the area after 1948, particularly after attempts to drive them permanently across the border into neighboring countries failed.

Although the majority of Palestinians were expelled from their homes inside Israel during the 1948 conflict that led to the creation of the State of Israel, some Palestinians managed to remain in their villages and their descendants today make up around 20 percent of Israel's population.