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Updated 9.56pm
ISRAEL HAS FOUND bodies of three missing teenagers on Monday, accusing Hamas of their murder and vowing to make the Islamist movement pay.
But a senior Hamas official warned Israel against any reprisals, saying it would open “the gates of hell”.
The discovery of the three bodies in a field in the southern West Bank came 17 days after the youngsters disappeared, triggering a huge manhunt during which five Palestinians were killed and more than 400 arrested.
It also triggered a surge in rocket attacks against southern Israel by militants in the Gaza Strip, which triggered retaliatory Israeli air strikes almost nightly.
Israel has publicly blamed Hamas for the teenagers’ abduction and staged a major crackdown on the Islamist movement’s West Bank network.
But so far, the military has held back from attacking Hamas’s power base in the Gaza Strip.
“This evening, we found three bodies and all the signs indicate that they are the bodies of our three kidnapped youngsters,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers at the start of an emergency session of his security cabinet.
“They were kidnapped and murdered in cold blood by human animals.. Satan has not yet invented vengeance for the blood of small child,” he said.
“Hamas is responsible and Hamas will pay.”
‘Found at the end of the world’
The bodies were found in the southern West Bank near the town of Halhul, some 10 minutes from the roadside where they were last seen hitchhiking.
“During the search for Eyal Ifrach, Gilad Shaer and Naftali Frankel, the IDF discovered 3 bodies,” the Israeli army said on Twitter.
Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said the bodies had been discovered around 1400 GMT but he refused to comment on the cause of death.
“At around 5.00 pm, the IDF uncovered three bodies in the northwestern Hebron district,” he told reporters, saying the bodies were being transferred for formal forensic identification.
“We have informed the families but final identification is pending.”
One of the civilian volunteers involved in the search told army radio the bodies had been found under a pile of branches and stones in a remote area.
“Today, during a sweep with the army, one of the guys spotted something unusual, they started to move branches and stones and found the bodies,” said volunteer Benny Truper.
“It was a very isolated area, more or less at the end of the world.”
- © AFP, 2014. Originally published 6.48pm
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Que the Benny Hill music…again..
@Anthony Healy Poroloniczak: Sorry..hate to do this….Hate when its done to me. But…what that hell does “Que” mean. French or Spanish?;)
@Donal Proctor: oh that should have been Cue
@Anthony Healy Poroloniczak: ;) Im a dyslexic blunder bus with the phone too.
@Donal Proctor: you guys better get a moor.
@Donal Proctor: damn technology haha
@EdmundOrlando: seen what u done there
covfefe
Talk about an actual loose cannon……
Someone from the US suggested I watch a documentary called ‘The Brainwashing Of My Dad’ it was a real eye opener on how certain media behave when it comes to promoting their own agenda.
What happened to the lawyer he had last week?
@Dave O Keeffe: The lawyers lawyer probably told him to quit…
I’d say he doesn’t know what day of the week it is half the time.
What FBI? I heard a rumour they’ve ALL been fired.
What is happening to confuse so nobody knows what is going on. They say one thing but the other thing is happening.
Didn’t Sekulow say that Trumps tweet about him being investigated was in response – not to a formal notification from authorities- but to newspaper reports that he was being investigated. But Sekulow was out foxed by the Fox News reporter in the interview when he mentioned the investigation – I would not like to be working for Trump
Coookcoooo Coooookcoooooo…
There is clear and mounting evidence that Comey was the primary source of leaked information to the media.
@Tommy Browne: how do you reckon that? It has been happening more and more since he was fired
@Tommy Browne: Well we know he leaked his memo to Schmidt @NYT via Columbia Professor. I wonder if this the same route for the January 20th NYT article?
@Tommy Browne:
Perhaps you could share your ‘evidence’ with the rest of us?
@Joe Caulfield: that article has been debunked more times than you’ve mentioned it but your brain can’t quite grasp reality
Also, the poor young fella seems to be an Arsenal fan
Trump needs to hide some obscure know it all from the comments section in the journal to help him run the USA. Oops sorry Trump doesn’t do fourth world country keyboard warriors!
@John Dillon: At least we can spell…
@John Dillon: and you’re here too moron
I would be Trumped off also if I had an IQ of 177 like you Mensa Dave and nothing but a keyboard to vent my frustrations on society oink!
@John Dillon: I meant in a “fourth world country” you seem to be the only one annoyed though. Loving Trump so much that you’re willing to insult your own country
Waiting for the puff of smoke from the grassy knoll!!!!!!
I’d say Pence is ironing his shirt
have your say