Israel identifies two suspects in hunt for teenagers

[$@rJen]

Israel identifies two suspects in hunt for teenagers

Shin Bet said Marwan Qawasmeh, left, and Amer Abu Aisha had spent time in Israeli jails
Continue reading the main story
Mid-East crisis

• Disappearing dream
• Unity scepticism
• Arms smugglers
• Peace talks

Israel has named two men as suspects in the disappearance of three Israeli teenagers believed abducted in the West Bank earlier this month.

The Shin Bet security service said Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Aisha were associated with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of kidnapping the teenagers, a claim it strongly denies.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been arrested in the hunt for the youths.

Five people have also died in clashes as Israeli soldiers carried out intensive house-to-house searches in the West Bank.

On Thursday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said the two men had been missing since the teenagers disappeared, and that a manhunt was under way.

Shin Bet said both men had served time in Israeli prisons for "terrorist activity" and were from the Hebron area, where the boys disappeared from earlier this month.

Amer Abu Aisha's father told the Agence France-Presse news agency that his son was not involved in the disappearance of the youths.

But he added that he had not seen his son since the day after the teenagers went missing.

The three teenagers disappeared while hitchhiking home
Naftali Frenkel and Gilad Shaar, both aged 16, and 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach went missing at a junction near Hebron as they hitchhiked home. Naftali Frenkel holds US-Israeli citizenship.

The leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, reiterated on Thursday that "we do not have information about what happened".

The teenagers' disappearance has triggered one of the most intensive Israeli search operations in the West Bank for years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the incident is a consequence "of the partnership with Hamas", with whom Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed a unity deal in April after years of division.

On Thursday he said he now expected Mr Abbas to "break his pact" with Hamas.

BBC News - Israel identifies two suspects in hunt for teenagers

 

[Militant Atheist]

I thought Hamas made peace with Fatah? Why would they do something that would undermine their "Unity Government"? It doesn't seem logical to me!

 

[Falcon29]

I thought Hamas made peace with Fatah? Why would they do something that would undermine their "Unity Government"? It doesn't seem logical to me!

Because they never did it, this was denied by all sources and personal families.

 

[Militant Atheist]

Because they never did it, this was denied by all sources and personal families.

I'm not really sure about that. But considering the recent rhetoric from Israeli leaders about Hamas-Fatah Unity government it could really be an attempt to put pressure on US government to act. Or I could be wrong and these guys really did it, but if I were in Hamas leaders shoes I would restrain my members not to create heat during such sensitive period of time.

 

[Falcon29]

I'm not really sure about that. But considering the recent rhetoric from Israeli leaders about Hamas-Fatah Unity government it could really be an attempt to put pressure on US government to act. Or I could be wrong and these guys really did it, but if I were in Hamas leaders shoes I would restrain my members not to create heat during such sensitive period of time.

It's what you said and more of that. Now, they're trying to escalate attacks on Gaza if you look at my recent thread my friend. Ever since the unity deal Egypt and the PA were supposed to cooperate and open the border. That hasn't happened and the unity government was supposed to pay salaries for Gaza government employees. They haven't done so, so Qatar was going to fill the gap, but the Arab Bank in Gaza rejected the transfer. Meaning we have people who are struggling in Ramadan and still nothing is coming into Gaza besides very limited basic necessities.

In the West Bank Israel/PA are arresting everyone activist supporting Hamas in rallies even though elections are supposed to occur in a few months yet Israel already said they won't allow that. This is a sick game. Similar to what's happening to the Iranian government but Iran is a nation which is self sufficient in many areas so they can find ways around it.