Description

When our sympathy reaches out to the children of one nation alone, we have condemned all of them to this atrocious cycle of violence. (Activestills)

The mother and family of 16-year-old Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir,
kidnapped and killed in possible revenge attack early Wednesday
(MaanImages)

Israeli army soldiers take part in the search operation for three kidnapped Israeli teenagers, on June 17, 2014 in the West Bank town of Hebron. [File photo by Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

A photo posted to the ‘The people of Israel demand revenge’ Facebook page, reading “Hating Arabs isn’t racism, it’s moral! Israel demands revenge’. (The faces were blurred by +972 because the girls appear to be minors.)
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UPDATES: from Haaretz

6:50 P.M. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry joins the condemnation of the Palestinian youth's death. "There are no words to convey adequately our condolences to the Palestinian people," he said.

"At this tense and dangerous moment all parties must do everything to protect the innocent," he added. (Barak Ravid)

6:45 P.M. Susan Rice, President Barack Obama's national security adviser, issued a harsh condemnation of the murder of the Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem. In a series of tweets made from her own Twitter account, Rice offered the U.S. government's condolences to the boy's family and to the Palestinian people. The statement was unusual as this was the first reaction by the U.S. government that was done on a very high level, and personally by rice.

Rice tweeted: "Perpetrators must be brought to justice. U.S. paying close attention to investigation. We call on all parties to avoid an atmosphere of revenge and retribution." (Barak Ravid)

6:00 P.M. The U.S. Department of State issues a security message in the wake of protests in Jerusalem, warning U.S. citizens "to be aware of your surroundings at all times, monitor the media, and avoid demonstrations and other crowds as they can turn violent without warning." (Haaretz)

5:00 P.M. Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi calls for the punishment of those responsible for the "despicable" murder of a Palestinian teenagers from East Jerusalem.

"Palestinian blood is no less valuable than the blood of settlers, and for [the teen's] mother it is even more important than the whole of Israel and the entire world," he says while visiting Shoafat with fellow United Arab List-Ta’al MKs.

Tibi cites the family as saying that the vehicle used to kidnap the youth was also used in an attempt to abduct a Palestinian girl two days prior.

Opposition leader MK Isaac Herzog tells foreign reporters that while extremists on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides are vying to perpetuate a cycle of bloodshed, the majority of Jews and Arabs want to live in peace. (Jonathan Lis)

4:20 P.M. The political security cabinet will meet at 7 P.M. for the third time in three days, to discuss the escalation in Jerusalem over the last 24 hours and on how to proceed in its response to the kidnapping of the three teens.

The cabinet's meeting Tuesday lasted until 1 A.M., and ministers were asked to refrain from making any remarks to the media regarding the contents of the meeting, after details of the discussion on Sunday were leaked to the public. No official decisions were reached in Tuesday's meeting, and the consultations are set to continue. (Barak Ravid)

3:27 P.M. Four mortar shells hit open areas in the Eshkol Regional Council; no injuries or damage reported. (Shirley Seidler)

3:08 French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expresses his "horror" following the murder. "The perpetrators of this crime must be identified and brought to justice," Fabius said. (Le Figaro)

2:59 P.M. Police arrest Arab youth who hit a security guard at a Light Rail station in Jerusalem. Protesters hurl two pipe bombs at police in East Jerusalem; none wounded. (Nir Hasson)

2:29 P.M. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni on the missing Palestinian youth: "The circumstances are currently unclear, and I hope that it isn't a case of revenge." (Ch. 10)

2:12 P.M. Fatah official Dmitry Diliani says "The Israeli government bears responsibility for Jewish terrorism and for the kidnapping and murder in occupied Jerusalem." (Reuters)

2:02 P.M. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat vehemently condemned the kidnapping of the Palestinian youth as a "grave and barbaric act" and called for tempers to calm. (DPA)

1:57 P.M. Mohammed, a relative of the missing Palestinian teenager, tells Haaretz that at 3:45 A.M. the teenager was on his way to a mosque near his home to pray. "Then a car came from the direction of Pisgat Ze'ev, stopped, made a U-turn and then they called him and forced him into the car. People saw this and tried to chase after the car," Mohammed said. According to him eye witnesses reported on two or three Jews sitting in the car."

Sayed, the missing Palestinian's uncle, tells Haaretz: "The boy's father is still at the police station and wasn't told a thing. We still don't know whether he's a martyr or alive."

1:30 P.M. Clashes between Palestinian youth and Israeli security forces in Shuafat continue. Palestinians report a number of injuries. No injuries are reported among Israeli security forces. Palestinians attack a fellow Palestinian mistaking him for an undercover policeman. Palestinian sources claim that the riot is one of the worst outbreaks of violence in Jerusalem in recent years.

12:29 P.M. Vandals spray paint "Price tag" and "Death to Arabs" on the wall of an Ashkelon restaurant. Police are searching for suspects. (Shirly Seidler)

12:25 P.M. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich and requests an immediate investigation into the murder of the Palestinian teenager and the circumstances surround his death. Netanyahu calls on all sides not to take the law into their own hands. "Israel is a state of law and everyone is obligated to act in accordance with the law." (Barak Ravid)

12:02 P.M. Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshal asks Turkish President Abdullah Gul to intercede and stop an Israeli escalation of violence (Jack Khoury)

11:45 A.M. Citypass, the company that operates Jerusalem's light rail system, says that three East Jerusalem stations were vandalized by rioters. (Nir Hasson)

11:28 A.M. Former Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff MK Shaul Mofaz attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security policies: "Netanyahu's policies over the past few years have led to an erosion of Israel's deterrence."

"The kidnapping of the teenagers isn't a mere act of terror it’s a dire signal on the state of Israel's deterrence via-s-vis its neighbors near and far. The security response needed isn't just a response to the kidnapping rather it's a strategic action that will restore deterrence and preserve security," Mofaz added. "You know there is deterrence only when it all stops, when every terrorist knows for sure that he is taking his life into his hands and doesn't dare to go out onto the street."

"When we assassinate the leaders of Hamas and those who send out the murderers just as we destroy their storage facilities and offices, then the situation would be different," Mofaz went on to describe what he had in mind as per the proper response, adding "This worked when I was minister of defense and chief-of-staff and it will work now."

11:04 A.M. Palestinians gathered by the home of the missing Palestinian teen in Beit Hanina are throwing stones at Israeli security forces on the scene. Three pipe bombs were also hurled at the force, only one went off. One person injured in the rioting was rushed to an East Jerusalem hospital. No Israeli security personnel were injured.

10:58 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office: "Israel bears full responsibility for this incident. The Israeli police and security forces must bring those responsible to justice. The Palestinian leadership will continue its discussions following this escalation, including joining international organizations."

10:53 A.M. Palestinian gather in West Bank town of Idhna at where terrorist Ziad Awad's home was destroyed. Demonstrators hurl firebombs and stones at security forces. (Gili Cohen)

10:30 A.M. 42 Palestinians were arrested by the IDF in West Bank overnight raids, including those released in the Shalit deal. Except for one of those arrested all are Hamas activists. (Gili Cohen)

10:28 A.M. Israeli security forces open fire on Palestinians throwing stones at on site in Shoafat. Three residents wounded. (Nir Hasson)

9:48 A.M. Jerusalem District Police Chief Parienti: "The district police was notified at about 4 A.M. that a kidnapping had taken place in the Shoafat area. District forces acted quickly, and using certain means of investigation, focused its search of the Jerusalem forest. At quarter to six we found a body on the side of the road. At this moment, we cannot verifiably connect the missing with the body, it is being checked out at this exact moment.

"I ask Jerusalem residents and everyone else not to jump to conclusions, to wait for developments. There are conjectures and working assessments, we are not hurrying to say one way or another. I ask everyone to show responsibility, understanding and patience."

8:04 A.M. Some 250 Palestinians assembled at the home of the Palestinian terrorist Ziad Awad in a Palestinian town near Hebron. A confrontation with Israeli security forces on the scene broke out. (Gili Cohen)

6:43 A.M. The body of Palestinian teenager was found in West Jerusalem early on Wednesday. According to Palestinian media, the body belongs to an East Jerusalem youth who was kidnapped and murdered. At this point, the claim could not be corroborated. (Nir Hasson)

A heavy police presence is felt in West Jerusalem. (Haaretz)

6:35 A.M. IDF forces demolish part of the house of Ziad Awad, who has been charged with the murder of off-duty police officer Baruch Mizrahi. Awad was released as part of the Shalit deal and re-arrested in the wake of the kidnapping. (Jack Khouri)