Israel Teen Killings: Gaza Strip Bombed; Prime Minister Says 'Hamas Will Pay'
Israel has stepped up air strikes into the Gaza Strip after three Israeli teenagers were found dead on Monday, according to a report from CNN.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet that Hamas, the Islamic organization that controls Gaza, was responsible for the murders, CNN reported.
"Vengeance for the blood of a small child, Satan has not yet created," Netanyahu said, according to CNN. "Neither has vengeance for the blood of three pure youths who were on their way home to their parents, who will not see them anymore."
Funerals for the three boys -- Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, 16 -- will meet at Modi'in cemetery, CNN reported. The teens had been missing since June 12, when they were hitchhiking home from a religious school in Kfar Etzion, according to an Al-Jazeera report.
Israel said it had increased air raids on Gaza early Tuesday morning. The military reported striking 34 terror infrastructure targets after 18 rockets had been fired into Israel since Sunday evening, CNN reported.
Al-Jazeera added that a Palestinian man also was shot dead on Tuesday in Jenin, in the West Bank, in an Israeli military operation. The military claimed the man was trying to throw a grenade, but this hasn't been confirmed.
Hamas has denied responsibility for the abductions and murders of the three teenagers. Palestinian news agency Ma'an said Tuesday that a group called Ansar as-Dawla al-Islamiva -- meaning Supporters of the Islamic State -- had claimed responsibility for the killings, according to CNN.
Hamas also has responded to the attacks on Gaza by Israel and said that, if Netanyahu brings a war on Gaza, "the gates of Hell will open to him."
Tuesday's attacks caused the United Nations' human rights office to urge Israelis and Palestinians to "exercise maximum restraint and to prevent the situation from worsening further," Al-Jazeera reported.
"We reiterate our call for strict adherence to international law by all relevant actors to avoid further loss of life, injuries and negative impact on human rights," U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said, Al Jazeera reported.
"We urge all parties to refrain from punishing individuals for offences they have not personally committed or by imposing collective penalties."
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