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Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)
Thu Jun 19, 2014, 08:45 AM Jun 2014

'Focus on bringing teens home, not toppling Palestinian government'

Meretz chair meets Netanyahu, implores him to take Abbas' 'brave words' and move forward on diplomatic goals; 280 Palestinians arrested in West Bank; air force strikes five Gaza targets.

By Haaretz | 13:45 19.06.14

The search for three teenagers who disappeared from a hitchhiking station in the West Bank late on Thursday enters a seventh day Thursday. Concern remains high for their lives, as there has been no sign of life from the missing people nor have any demands been made by their kidnapping.

Israeli security forces have rounded up 280 Palestinians since the start of the Operation Brother's Keeper to rescue the teens on Friday. More than 50 of those arrested were among the 1,027 prisoners freed by Israel in 2011 as part of an exchange deal to free Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the abduction on Wednesday and called for the return of the missing youths. The kidnappers, he said, are "seeking the destruction of the [Palestinian] Authority." He also said the PA is helping Israel search for the teens.

The Prime Minister's Office offered a tepid response to Abbas' statement. "Abbas' words will be evaluated according to the PA's efforts to return the kidnapped boys safely home, and the real test is the dismantling of the agreement with Hamas," sources in the Prime Minister's Office said, referring to the unity government that was sworn in on June 2.

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.599757
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Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)
1. further:
Thu Jun 19, 2014, 08:46 AM
Jun 2014

On Wednesday evening, a rocket was fired from Gaza toward a kibbutz in southern Israel, causing damage to a house. No casualties were reported. In response, the Israel Air Force struck five terrorist targets in Gaza early on Thursday.

Click here for Wednesday's live updates

Latest updates:

3:37 P.M. GOC Central Command chief: Hamas' campaign to bring about release of prisoners is having the reverse effect (Gili Cohen)

1:45 P.M. Meretz Chairman Zahava Gal-On meets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a briefing on the efforts to locate the kidnapped teens and secure their release.

During the meeting, Gal-On tells Netanyahu: "The central effort here must be to find the kidnapped teens and bring them home, and not a focus on toppling the Palestinian reconciliation government."

"Following Abu Mazen's [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas'] important and brave words, in which he condemned the kidnapping, the prime minister must invite Abu Mazen for a meeting at the end of the operation and present his diplomatic goals."

8:58 A.M. Since Friday, Israeli security forces have arrested 280 Palestinians, some 200 of which are linked to Hamas. Israeli forces searched overnight Thursday about 100 buildings and houses in the West Bank.

Israeli forces raided nine Hamas institutions overnight in Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah and Jenin, confiscating documents and computers.
Palestinian prepares to throw a stone during clashes with soldiers in Jenin. Photo by AP

Gunmen opened fire and IEDs were thrown overnight at soldiers operating in Jenin. Several Palestinians were wounded after the soldiers returned fire. (Gili Cohen)

7:55 A.M. Police and military forces spread out at hitchhiking stations across the West Bank. (Chaim Levinson)

Back to latest update

7:20 A.M. Israeli forces raided 14 Dawa institutions (Hamas' socio-economic infrastructure) overnight, including Bir Zeit University's Students' Union, confiscating equipment.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.599757

Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)
3. This is what I question, why when you are not certain who is responsible and you have had
Thu Jun 19, 2014, 09:47 PM
Jun 2014

no contact from them, no demands for a ransom, nothing. Why are you out there creating
havoc? I don't expect them to sit idle by any means, but these tactics are suppose to
encourage the kidnappers to keep these kids alive? Really?

azurnoir

(45,850 posts)
4. Netanyahu: We expect Abbas to dissolve unity government
Fri Jun 20, 2014, 12:41 AM
Jun 2014

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he expected the Palestinian national unity of government to dissolve and the the Israeli government was moving closer to finding three Israeli youths missing for the last week.

The comments, which came during a press conference in the southern West Bank city of Hebron that has been besieged by Israeli forces since the kidnapping, signal renewed pressure on the Palestinian Authority to end a unity deal agreed on between Fatah and Hamas in late April.

"I expect (Palestinian) president (Mahmoud) Abbas to dissolve the union with this murderous terror organisation. I think that's important for our common future," he said.

Netanyahu also reasserted that Hamas kidnapped the three young men, even though the Israeli government has yet to provide any evidence of the accusation.

"They were kidnapped by Hamas, we had no doubt of that. It's absolutely certain," he said, adding that the public needed to have "patience" as the Israeli forces continued their search.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=706234

Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)
5. Then why don't they produce the evidence? I'd still like to know how creating illegal mass raids
Fri Jun 20, 2014, 08:19 AM
Jun 2014

that result in dead Palestinian kids helps ensure the kidnapped teens will be kept alive.

Why would Abbas listen to anything Bibi has to say?

azurnoir

(45,850 posts)
6. well it could be for security reasons or
Fri Jun 20, 2014, 08:54 AM
Jun 2014

it could be that there really isn't any evidence, ToI has a long rambling article today about how this must be the work of a highly sophisticated cell taking orders from some other country Turkey, Syria, Lebanon oddly Iran isn't mentioned

http://www.timesofisrael.com/a-week-of-raids-and-arrests-but-no-hard-lead-to-the-kidnappers/

however the glaring hole is that who ever the kidnappers were, they had almost 8 hours between when the young men were kidnapped and when search efforts began due to the police not believing the the call saying we've been kidnapped something the kidnappers themselves were certainly aware of , also why has the cell phone not been tracked, that seems pretty basic but nothing about that either, in short this could well have been the work of very rank amateurs, but due to the lack of response on the part of Israeli security it looks much more complex and professional than it may well be and IMO Israel's overbearing response is an attempt to compensate for that

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