Israeli police have found the body of a Palestinian teenager who
was kidnapped overnight in East Jerusalem. Mohammed Abu Khdair, 17, was seen being forced into a car early on Wednesday. Within hours, his partly-burned corpse was discovered in a forest.
Israeli police were unable to confirm the motive, but Palestinian sources said it appeared to be a revenge attack for the murder of three Israeli teens.
Later, Palestinians clashed with Israeli police near the boy's home.
The protesters threw stones at the officers, who reportedly responded by firing sound bombs, tear gas and rubber bullets.
The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, called for restraint.
'Despicable murder'
Initial reports said the boy was abducted near his father's shop in the Arab district of Shufat in East Jerusalem. Witnesses said he was bundled into a white car.
A few hours later, his body, partly burned and bearing marks of violence, was found abandoned in a forest near Givat Shaul, in the western outskirts of the city.
Israeli Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said it was too early to draw conclusions as to the motive.
"We know of a boy who apparently was abducted and we see a link to the discovery of a body. This is still under investigation by the forensic labs and detectives," he told reporters.
"Everything is being examined. There are many possibilities. There is a criminal possibility as well as a political one," he added. "I am telling everyone, let us wait patiently."
No comments:
Post a Comment