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Bodies of three missing Israeli teenagers found in West Bank Bodies of three missing Israeli teenagers found in West Bank
(about 2 hours later)
The bodies of three missing Israeli teenagers, including one with US citizenship, have been found close to the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
A senior spokesman for the Israel Defence Force, Lt Col Peter Lerner, told the Guardian that soldiers and civilian volunteers came across "two bodies buried under a pile of rocks" at about five pm on Monday afternoon in a field between Halhoul and a neighbouring village. The bodies of three missing Israeli teenagers who disappeared almost three weeks ago have been found buried in a shallow grave under rocks in a valley close to the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
"Digging deeper they came cross a third body." The source added that the identities of the bodies had not be confirmed nor was there any information on the state of the bodies at present to suggest when they had been killed. Following the discovery of the bodies the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, blamed Hamas for the murders, warning the militant group will pay a heavy price for the deaths. "Hamas is responsible, and Hamas will pay ... [They] were kidnapped and murdered in cold blood by wild beasts," Netanyahu said in a statement.
He added: "The families have been informed about the discovery and we will release more details when it is available." Israeli soldiers and civilian volunteers found two bodies at 5pm on Monday in a shallow grave covered with boulders, later uncovering a third body. Although there was no immediate confirmation of their identity, both the location, close to where they went missing, and the number of bodies pointed inescapably to it being the remains of the three teenagers.
The three, Eyal Yifrach, 19, and Gil-ad Sha'er and Naftali Frankel who were both 16, went missing while hitchhiking back from their religious schools in settlements on the West Bank, prompting claims from the Israeli government that they had been kidnapped by the militants from the Islamist organisation Hamas. "The bodies are currently going through forensic identification. The families of the abducted teens have been notified," a senior spokesman for the army said on Monday evening.
Israel has named two Hamas members from the Hebron area as suspects, but despite the arrest of some 400 Palestinians, the two men remained on the run on Monday. Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Frankel, 16, went missing while hitchhiking back from their religious schools in settlements on the West Bank on 10 June.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was meeting with his Security Cabinet late on Monday to discuss Israel's response to the discovery of the bodies amid a period of increased rocket fire from Gaza and retaliatory airstrikes by Israel. According to reports in the Israeli media on Monday it appeared the three were killed shortly after being abducted near the Gush Etzion junction in the southern West Bank. The same reports suggested they were shot in the car they got into, which was later discovered abandoned and burned out.
The case prompted a massive manhunt by soldiers, police, civilians and members of Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet. "There can be no forgiveness for the killers of children and those who sent them. Now is the time to act," Israel's economy minister, Naftali Bennett, said in a statement.
Binyamin Proper, who was among the civilian volunteers that found the bodies, told Channel 2 TV that a member of the search party "saw something suspicious on the ground, plants that looked out of place, moved them and moved some rocks and then found the bodies. We realised it was them and we called the army." Separately, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called an emergency meeting to discuss the killings.
The hunt for the three missing youths has galvanised Israeli society, prompting round the clock coverage and large rallies – the most recent in Tel Aviv on Sunday – calling for their release. A senior Hamas spokesman, however, denied the group's involvement. "Only the Israeli version of the events has been published," said Sami Abu Zuhri. "Israel is attempting to make way for aggression against us, against the Hamas … No Palestinian group, Hamas or any other group, has taken responsibility for the action, and thus the Israeli version can't be trusted."
As the search went on, concerns mounted for the teenagers safety amid pointed and grim reminders in the Israeli media that West Bank kidnapping victims historically had often been killed shortly after their abduction. The hunt for the three missing youths has seen several hundred Palestinians rounded up in a massive operation – often without charge or connection to the kidnapping – and five Palestinians, including a number of minors, killed.
Early reports on social media and elsewhere suggested the bodies had been found in a rocky gully close to Halhul a town at the entrance to Hebron, a city of 750,000, although that could not immediately be confirmed. The official announcement by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency that the bodies had been found followed hours of swirling rumours in Israel where the hunt for the missing youths has galvanised Israeli society, prompting round-the-clock coverage and large rallies – the most recent in Tel Aviv on Sunday – calling for their release.
However reports suggested that the access to the area had been sealed by military roadblocks. An army spokesman said the bodies had been buried in a field near the village of Halhul just north of one of the entrances to Hebron.
The abduction of the three youths has become a heated political issue both on the domestic and international political front, with Palestinian leaders accusing the Israeli government of using it as an excuse to smash the new Palestinian unity government backed by Hamas. Binyamin Proper, who was among the civilian volunteers who found the bodies, told Channel 2 TV that a member of the search party "saw something suspicious on the ground, plants that looked out of place, moved them and moved some rocks and then found the bodies. We realised it was them and we called the army."
However, even within Palestinian circles cross to President Mahmoud Abbas, concerns had been growing over the potential fallout that would follow the revelation the teenagers had been kidnapped or killed by militants associated with, or member of, Hamas with one official telling the Guardian the unity government would be dead in the water. Outside the home of Eyal Yifrach, one of the missing teenagers, the street was packed with Orthodox Jews, standing behind a police barricade and listening to the news on the radio.
In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, "We obviously condemn in the strongest possible terms violence that takes the lives of innocent civilians." An elderly woman who declined to give her name to the Guardian wept as she spoke of the deaths of the teenagers. "We need to do to them as they have done to us," she said. "We see lots of Arabs in the malls, in the shops. We don't do what they do. They used to eat with us and now they kill us."
n a statement issue by his office British prime minister David Cameron said: "I am deeply saddened by the news that the bodies of the three Israeli boys kidnapped on 12 June have been found this evening. This was an appalling and inexcusable act of terror perpetrated against young teenagers. Britain will stand with Israel as it seeks to bring to justice those responsible." Yvette, 36, a neighbour, said: "When the Arabs are doing the killing the world stays silent, it is always Israel [who is criticised]."
On the streets surrounding the neighbourhood, families stood on balconies. Everyone was listening to a radio. TV cameras were directly outside the Yifrach house, which was closed off.
The case prompted a massive manhunt by soldiers, police and members of Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet. As the search went on concerns mounted for the teenagers' safety, amid pointed and grim reminders in the Israeli media that West Bank kidnapping victims historically have often been killed shortly after their abduction.
The abduction of the three youths has also become a heated political issue both on the domestic and international political front, with Palestinian leaders accusing the Israeli government of using it as an excuse to smash the new Palestinian unity government backed by Hamas.
However, even within Palestinian circles close to Abbas, concerns had been growing over the potential fallout that would follow the revelation that the teenagers had been kidnapped or killed by militants associated with – or members of – Hamas, with one official telling the Guardian the unity government would be dead in the water.
US President Barack Obama condemned what he called the "senseless" murder of the teenagers and warned against actions that could further "destabilise" the situation. "The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms this senseless act of terror against innocent youth," Obama said in a written statement.
In a statement issue by his office British prime minister David Cameron said: "I am deeply saddened by the news that the bodies of the three Israeli boys ... have been found ... This was an appalling and inexcusable act of terror perpetrated against young teenagers. Britain will stand with Israel as it seeks to bring to justice those responsible."
In Nof Ayalon, where Naftali Frankel lived, groups of friends, family and neighbours of the 16-year-old walked arm and arm through the quiet streets.
The contrast as the residents gathered at the local synagogue was palpable to El Ad a short drive away. Both male and female sides of the synagogue were packed but largely quiet, unlike the scenes at the Yifrach neighbourhood.
A 16-year-old fellow student of Frankel, sat outside on a bench smoking, said that although many had criticised the three students for hitch-hiking, he knew many pupils at the Yeshiva they attended and the killings would not stop him or them from doing it.
"I am mad, but I am not going to get too excited about it," he said. Asked what he wanted the aftermath of the killings to be he said: "Peace."