Hamas Admits Killing Israeli Teenagers
Senior Hamas Leader Saleh al-Arouri has acknowledged that members of the group kidnapped and killed three Israeli teenagers from the West Bank in June. This is the first time anyone from the group has admitted its invovement in the killings, which led to the current violence in Gaza.
Speaking at a conference of International Union of Islamic Scholars in Istanbul, Arouri said that the operation was carried out by Hamas's military wing, al- Qassam Brigades.
He also termed the operation as "heroic".
"The popular will was exercised throughout our occupied land, and culminated in the heroic operation by the Qassam Brigades in imprisoning the three settlers in Hebron," he said.
"This was an operation from your brothers in Qassam undertaken to aid their brothers on hunger strike in (Israeli) prisons," he added, reports Reuters, citing a recording of the meeting posted online by organizers.
Israel has blamed Hamas for planning the kidnappings and two suspects identified by them remain at large.
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said that Arouri's confession shows that Hamas has no reservations at all in targeting innocent civilians, reports the Associated Press.
Arouri said at the conference that Hamas did not intend to stir up a large battle this time and his group did not believe Israel wanted a war also. He added that it was Allah's wish that it got started.
Arouri is one of Hamas' most senior figures and now commands the group's operations in the area from exile in Turkey. He was deported many years ago in a deal that freed him from Israeli prison, according to AP.
Israeli teenagers Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaer and Naftali Fraenkel were abducted and killed while they were hitchhiking in the Israeli occupied West Bank on June 12. Israel blamed Hamas for the attack and began a massive crackdown on the group in West Bank and over a thousand Palestinians were arrested. Hamas reacted by firing rockets at Israel from Gaza prompting Israel to launch aerial attacks on the territory.
