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Israel targets Hamas in operation to find kidnapped youngsters
Israeli security forces and political leaders increased the pressure on Hamas as the search continues to locate the three kidnapped Israeli teenagers, who went missing on Thursday.
Israel’s government has said that Hamas is responsible for the abduction and the Jerusalem Post quotes an unnamed official who says that Israel will share intelligence on this “in good time.” With more than 100 already arrested, Israel Radio reports this morning that a further 64 Hamas members were apprehended last night, including around 50 who were released by Israel in 2011 as part of a deal to secure the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. Meanwhile, the IDF reported that a “considerable amount” of firearms had been found and confiscated in the Nablus area.
Israel’s security cabinet met yesterday and decided to further pressurise Hamas by stiffening conditions for existing Hamas prisoners within the boundaries of the law. Meanwhile, Nitzan Alon, head of IDF Central Command said that, “Hamas is feeling the hits and getting the message,” describing the campaign against them as “long and complicated.”
The families of the three missing youngsters, Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaer, 16 and Naftali Frenkel, 16, met yesterday for the first time since the kidnapping. Racheli Frenkel, mother of Naftali said that the gathering was “very significant” and asked that people continue praying for them, adding, “all we want is to hug our children.”
During a meeting yesterday with Quartet envoy Tony Blair, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the recent unity agreement between Hamas and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction. Netanyahu said, “Anybody who supports peace must tell the Palestinian Authority that they cannot build a government that is backed by the kidnappers of children and the murderers of innocents.” Blair voiced his “outrage” at the kidnapping and commented that, “for Hamas, they have a very clear choice to make. There cannot be a choice that has political engagement on the one hand, and violence on the other.”