Israel has intensified its search for three Jewish teenagers who have been missing since the evening of 12 June. The three youths, Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and American Naftali Frenkel, 16, are believed to have been hitch-hiking home from a West Bank religious school. Israel has blamed Hamas for the apparent abductions, without providing proof.

Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Schaer and Eyal Yifrah
The three kidnapped Israeli teenagers: Naftali Frenkel (L), Gilad Schaer (M) and Eyal Yifrah (R). Reuters

Israel has arrested more than 200 Palestinians since the teens disappeared. Most of those arreested are Hamas activists.The search for the missing students has been concentrated in and around Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is ultimately responsible for the fate of the teens. "The Hamas kidnappers came from territory under Palestinian Authority control and returned to territory under Palestinian Authority control," Netanyahu told Abbas.

Abbas aides have rejected Netanyahu's contention, saying Israel is in overall control of the West Bank.

Abbas condemned both the apparent kidnapping and a "series of Israeli violations", referring to the arrests and the killing of a 20-year-old Palestinian by Israeli army fire during a confrontation between stone throwers and soldiers in a West Bank refugee camp.

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Mourners carry the body of Ahmed Sabbaren during his funeral in Jalazon refugee camp. Reuters
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Relatives mourn during the funeral of 20-year-old Palestinian Ahmad Sabareen, who was shot dead by Israeli troops in Jalazon refugee camp near the West Bank city of Ramallah. Witnesses said Palestinians had been throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers conducting house-to-house searches in the camp before dawn. Army gunfire killed Sabbaren and wounded another, hospital officials said. AFP
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Palestinians throw stones towards Israeli forces during clashes in the West Bank town of Hebron. AFP
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Israeli soldiers conduct an operation in the West Bank town of Hebron, broadening the search for three teenagers. AFP
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Palestinians watch from their house as Israeli soldiers patrol near the West Bank City of Hebron. Reuters
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Israeli soldiers patrol an area in the West Bank town of Hebron, as they search for the three teenagers. AFP
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An Israeli soldier blindfolds a Palestinian suspected of throwing stones as he detains him during clashes in the West Bank City of Hebron. Israeli armed forces swept through half a dozen Palestinian towns and arrested more Hamas officials, expanding a search for three teenagers as part of a crackdown on the Islamist group accused of abducting them. Reuters

Israeli warplanes struck three weapons manufacturing and storage sites and another militant sites in the Gaza Strip in response to rockets fired into Israel.

Hamas has praised the kidnapping, but has not taken responsibility. In a statement, the group said the detentions of Hamas members "will not stop it and it will not change its path".

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Palestinians inspect an area following an air strike on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, 'hitting a site of terrorist activity and a weapons depot,' an Israeli statement said. Reuters
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A Palestinian man inspects his house in Gaza City, which witnesses said was damaged in an Israeli air strike. On Saturday and Sunday, several rockets were fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory where Hamas holds sway. Reuters
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Palestinians inspect the aftermath of an Israeli air strike in Gaza City. The Israeli army said it had targeted weapons manufacturing and storage facilities in response to an earlier rocket fired from Gaza into Israel. Reuters
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An Israeli soldier prepares a military drone for use over the West Bank town of Hebron. AFP

Israelis have set up an online campaign calling for the release of the three teens, using the hashtag #BringBackOurBoys, based on the campaign set up after nearly 300 Nigerian school girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram. People all over ther world have posted photos of themselves holding signs reading 'Bring back our boys'.

However, the hashtag has also been used by pro-Palestinian activists to raise awareness of the 200 Palestinians that have been arrested during the search for the three missing Israelis.

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