L-R: Eyal Yifrach, 19, Naftali Fraenkel, 16, and Gil-ad Shaar, 16Less than a month after Israeli President Shimon Perez and Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas prayed together for peace in the Vatican gardens, the killing of three Israeli teens by the Palestinian-based terrorist group, Hamas, has ignited new tensions in the region.
Fox News is reporting that the Israeli air force launched a series of strikes this morning on dozens of targets in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in retaliation for the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teens, one of whom was a U.S. citizen.
Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, a 16-year-old who had dual Israeli-American citizenship, disappeared on June 12 while hitchhiking home from a West Bank religious school. Officials say the last anyone heard from the boys was a phone call made to a local police emergency line around 10:25 p.m. that evening reporting that "we've been kidnapped."
They were not seen or heard from again.
The incident sparked a massive manhunt along with vigils and rallies which were held in Israel and around the world with people of all faiths praying for the safe return of the boys. Fox reports that hundreds of Palestinians also took part in the search for the boys, which was dubbed "Brother's Keeper."
The search came to a sad end yesterday when a group of civilian volunteers came upon the bodies in a field.
One of those volunteers, Binyamin Proper, 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 realized it was them and we called the army."
Officials confirmed that the teens appeared to have been dead for some time before they were found. Blood and a bullet case were found in a car believed to have been used in the kidnapping, leading investigators to believe the boys were probably shot in the car on the night of their abduction. They speculate that the boy's phone call caused their abductors to panic and decide to kill them rather than to keep them and use them as bargaining chips.
The Israelis believe two Hamas terrorists, Amer Abu Aysha and Marwan Kawasme, are responsible for the kidnap and murder of the boys.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the murders with outrage. "(The teens) were kidnapped and murdered in cold blood by animals. In the name of the whole of Israel, I ask to tell the dear families - to the mothers, the fathers, the grandmothers and the grandfathers, the brothers and sisters - our hearts are bleeding, the whole nation is crying with them."
Even though Palestinian Authority [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas criticized the kidnapping and denied there was evidence linking Hamas to the crime, the terrorist group which governs Palestine alongside the PA praised the kidnapping although they did not claim responsibility.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Israel is using the murders as an excuse to attack them. "Only the Israeli version of the events has been published. Israel is attempting to make way for aggression against us, against the Hamas," Zuhri said. "We reject all Israeli allegations and threats against us. We are already used to it and will know how to defend ourselves. No Palestinian group, Hamas or any other group, has taken responsibility for the action, and thus the Israeli version can't be trusted."
Israeli president Shimon Peres, who prayed alongside Mahmoud Abbas on June 9 in the Vatican gardens, said that "the entire nation is bowing its head with unbearable sorrow" over the murder of the boys.
"Over the past 18 days the nation prayed as one that the fate of our wonderful teenagers would be that they are found alive and well. Now that the bitter news has come, the entire Israeli nation mourns the premature death of our finest youth … Alongside deep sorrow, we will remain resolute to punish the atrocious terrorists. Our war on terrorism will only intensify and will not waver so that this murderous terrorism won't dare to rear its head."
In a prepared statement, President Barack Obama expressed his sorrow over the death of the boys and urged leaders of both countries not to destabilize the already fragile region.
“As a father, I cannot imagine the indescribable pain that the parents of these teenage boys are experiencing,” he said. "I also urge all parties to refrain from steps that could further destabilize the situation. As the Israeli people deal with this tragedy, they have the full support and friendship of the United States.”
The Vatican called the kidnap and killing of the teens "terrible and dramatic".
“The assassination of innocent people is always an execrable and unacceptable crime, and a very serious obstacle on the path towards the peace for which we must tirelessly continue to strive and pray," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, S.J.
"Violence begets violence, and feeds the vicious circle of hatred. Pope Francis participates in the unspeakable suffering of the families struck by this homicidal violence and the pain of all persons afflicted by the consequences of hatred, and prays that God might inspire all with thoughts of compassion and peace”.
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