US Condemns Killing of Palestinian Teen
by VOA News July 02, 2014
Secretary of State John Kerry has strongly condemned what he termed the 'despicable and senseless abduction and murder' of Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir, a teenager who Palestinian residents suspect was kidnapped and killed in an act of revenge for the deaths of three Israeli teens. The Israeli youth were abducted in June and their bodies were found earlier this week near Hebron.
'It is sickening to think of an innocent 17-year-old boy snatched off the streets and his life stolen from him and his family,' the statement said. 'There are no words to convey adequately our condolences to the Palestinian people.'
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Wednesday the U.S. has no assessment yet of whether killing was revenge and urges all sides to behave responsibly.
'We look to both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to take all necessary steps to prevent acts of violence and bring their perpetrators to justice,' the statement said, adding that 'violence only leads to more violence'.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a swift investigation into the abduction.
Authorities received calls that a Palestinian youth outside a mosque was forced into a car in an Arab section of Jerusalem.
Netanyahu said he asked law enforcement to find out who was behind what he called a 'reprehensible murder.'
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for Netanyahu to condemn the killing, just as he did in the case of the Israeli teens.
Clashes erupt
After the body was found Wednesday, several hundred Palestinians responded with protests in East Jerusalem, and threw stones as they clashed with Israeli security forces who responded with rubber bullets and tear gas.
Israeli police said the abduction may have been a revenge killing by Jews or a criminal act, such as a feud between Arab clans.
Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino urged the public not to draw conclusions and to act with restraint.
There were also smaller-scale clashes in the West Bank city of Jenin after Israeli forces raided the area.
On Tuesday, tens of thousands of people gathered in central Israel for the burial of the three Israeli teenagers, who were kidnapped and missing for nearly three weeks before their bodies were found.
Israeli leaders have accused Hamas of abducting and killing the three and vowed to punish the militant group.
Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied Israel's allegations about its role in the disappearance of the students.
Authorities arrested hundreds of Hamas members while searching for the teens.
Robert Berger contributed to this report from Jerusalem.
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