Arrests in hunt for Israeli teens
- 10 years ago
Around 80 Palestinians in the West Bank have been arrested so far as Israeli forces step up their search for three missing teenagers.
They're carrying out house to house searches for the two 16-year-olds and a 19-year-old vanished on Thursday night.
The Israeli youths disappeared after leaving a Jewish settlement bloc where they were seminary students.
Israel's government believes they've been kidnapped.
It's blaming Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's alliance with Hamas for emboldening militants.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN MARK REGEV SAYING:
"Israel holds President Abbas the Palestinian leader accountable. He is responsible for the safety and return of those three young men."
Palestinian security officials have said they're helping their Israeli counterparts, a move condemned by Hamas.
Militants have said in the past they wanted to abduct Israelis to win concessions such as prisoner releases.
They're carrying out house to house searches for the two 16-year-olds and a 19-year-old vanished on Thursday night.
The Israeli youths disappeared after leaving a Jewish settlement bloc where they were seminary students.
Israel's government believes they've been kidnapped.
It's blaming Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's alliance with Hamas for emboldening militants.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN MARK REGEV SAYING:
"Israel holds President Abbas the Palestinian leader accountable. He is responsible for the safety and return of those three young men."
Palestinian security officials have said they're helping their Israeli counterparts, a move condemned by Hamas.
Militants have said in the past they wanted to abduct Israelis to win concessions such as prisoner releases.