Jerusalem: Israel beefed up security for the holiest Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur on September 15, sealing off the Palestinian territories and placing the reoccupied West Bank under strict curfew after a suspected suicide bomber was arrested.

The Army seals off the Palestinian territories from Israel for the holiday every year, but this year it took advantage of its reoccupation of most of the West Bank since June to slap a curfew on towns and cities including Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarem and Qalqiliya.

The move means that the 100,000 residents of Nablus, in the North, will spend a 12th straight day locked in their homes, Palestinian officials said.

An Israeli military spokesman said the measure was justified in view of the heightened risk of attacks by Palestinian militants, one of whom was arrested on September 14 in the Northern West Bank while preparing to launch a suicide bombing.

Israel and the Jewish diaspora will start celebrating Yom Kippur, the day of atonement for 24 hours starting at sundown on September 15.

"As the region went on high alert, a Dutch charter flight bound for Israel was diverted by its pilot to Romania after a letter was found on the plane saying there was a bomb on board," Israeli aviation officials said.

"The pilot decided to land the plane at the nearest airport, which happened to be Bucharest," he said.

The passengers were transferred to a flight of the Israeli national carrier, El Al, and transported to Israel after being carefully screened by Romanian security officials.

The airport, which had already closed down ahead of the holiday, was specially reopened to accommodate the arrival, officials said.