Gaza wakes up to the devastation caused by 160 overnight airstrikes as Israel launches its biggest offensive in two years

Israel launches 'Operation Protective Edge' and strikes targets in Gaza after Hamas rocket attacks were stepped up



Air raid sirens sounded across Israel as Hamas said it was targeting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa

People evacuated Israel's Mediterranean beaches, running for shelter in nearby hotels



Since the offensive began Tuesday, Israel has attacked more than 400 sites in Gaza, killing up to 38 people



Troops have also been mobilised for possible ground invasion aimed at stopping recent barrage of rocket attacks

Attacks by Israel come after cabinet approved 'hardening' of stance against Hamas as tanks mass on border

Nearly 300 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel in recent weeks, including 80 projectiles on Monday



Tensions mounting after killing of Palestinian boy, 16, in suspected revenge attack for deaths of three Israeli youths




The Israeli army has launched its biggest offensive in nearly two years on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, killing 17 Palestinians in airstrikes on 160 sites.



Army spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said warplanes early Wednesday attacked sites including Hamas command centers and rocket launchers



The offensive has set off the heaviest fighting between Israel and the Islamic militant group Hamas since an eight-day battle in November 2012. Militants unleashed rocket salvos deep into Israeli territory, and Israel mobilized thousands of forces along the Gaza border for a possible ground invasion into the Palestinian territory.

Eleven women and children were among 17 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Wednesday, hiking the overall death toll to 38 in two days, the emergency services said. More than 300 people have been wounded.



Since the offensive began on Tuesday, Israel has attacked more than 400 sites in Gaza. The strikes from air and sea came after militants fired more than 160 rockets at Israel, including one that reached the northern Israeli city of Hadera for the first time. The city is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Gaza.



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Palestinians stand atop the rubble of a house which police said was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Wednesday

Eleven women and children were among 17 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Wednesday, hiking the overall death toll to 38 in two days, the emergency services said

A Palestinian boy carries his belongings as he walks past the rubble of his family's house destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Wednesday Smoke and debris rises after an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip seen from the Israeli side of the Israel Gaza Border on Wednesday Since the offensive began Tuesday, Israel has attacked more than 400 sites in Gaza, killing at least 32 people. The strikes from air and sea came after militants fired more than 160 rockets at Israel, including one that reached the northern Israeli city of Hadera for the first time The army said it attacked more than 160 sites in Gaza early Wednesday, including 118 concealed rockets launching sites, six Hamas compounds - including naval police and national security compounds - 10 militant command centers, weapons storage facilities and 10 tunnels used for militant activity and to ferry supplies in from Egypt. The border between Gaza and Egypt has effectively been closed for months.

Gaza health official Ashraf Al-Kedra said Wednesday's airstrikes killed one militant in south Gaza, as well as an Islamic Jihad operative, his mother, and four siblings in northern Gaza. Another man was killed on a motorcycle, but his identity was not immediately known. Only four rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel overnight, the army said, a significant decline from the large number that hit Israeli cities the night before, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas of the country. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next American teen beaten and held by Israeli police is freed on... Palestinian man arrested in connection with killings of... Shocking footage shows Israeli police savagely beating... Share this article Share Lerner, the army spokesman, told reporters that the military's aim was to take a 'substantial toll' on Hamas and to deplete its rocket capabilities. He said the army would gradually ramp up its strikes on Gaza.

'The organization is going to pay for its aggression. It is literally holding us hostage with its rockets,' Lerner said. 'The country is not willing for this situation to continue.'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called from the West Bank on the international community and the United Nations to 'provide international protection for our people.' He said in a televised statement late Tuesday that Hamas leaders in Gaza want to restore calm. More than 150 people were reported to have been injured in the airstrikes overnight on Wednesday A Palestinian walks amongst the rubble of a house which police said was destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday Smoke is seen following what police said was an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday Palestinian relatives mourn during the funeral of members of Hamad family in the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday Palestinians inspect a house which police said was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike 'I have been in contact with the regional and international parties in the last few days, particularly Hamas leaders in Gaza, and everyone I've talked to expressed his willingness to restore the truce and stop the escalation,' Abbas said. He called the Israeli offensive on Gaza an 'orchestrated and brutal aggression.' Air raid sirens were sounded across Israel last night as the country's armed forces stepped up their offensive in the Gaza Strip. A series of explosions hit Jerusalem as apparent rocket attacks were carried out by Hamas which had seen its territory in Gaza pounded by airstrikes throughout the day.

On Tuesday night the group said it had launched rocket attacks against three Israeli cities - Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa - but authorities said there had been no casualties. Israeli officials said a rocket had landed in Hadera,100km (60 miles) from Gaza - further into the country than had previously been reached - and threatened to invade if the attacks did not stop. Its military have called the massive display of force in the air Operation Protective Edge, and are calling up reservists for a potential land invasion of parts of the Gaza Strip, a senior officer said. Up to 40,000 would be called into active duty, while tanks are being moved to the border with Gaza. Drivers take cover beside their cars on a highway as an air raid siren, warning of incoming rockets, sounds in Tel Aviv on Wednesday Israeli soldiers prepare their tanks in a deployment area on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday Israeli soldiers stand guard in a deployment area on Wednesday on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip A Palestinian youth ducks during clashes with Israeli soldiers at the gates of the Beit El Jewish settlement in the Israel occupied West Bank near Ramallah on Wednesday as they protest against the bombardment of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli air force Palestinians clash with Israeli soldiers at the gates of the Beit El Jewish settlement in the Israel occupied West Bank near Ramallah Palestinians protest at the gates of the Beit El Jewish settlement in the Israel occupied West Bank near Ramallah against the bombardment of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli air force Air raid sirens in the cities prompted people to flee Israel's Mediterranean beaches and take shelter in nearby hotels. On one of the beaches, Zikim, Israeli troops killed four Hamas gunmen who had crossed the Gaza border, according to officials. The Israeli army also used its Iron Dome missile defence system to bring down rockets fired by Hamas at Israeli territory.

The hi-tech system intercepts rockets with its own missiles, before they can land in populated areas and explode, It has been credited with saving dozens of Israeli lives when it has previously been used. The Israeli military launched the offensive on Tuesday, striking more than 100 sites and mobilising 40,000 troops for a possible ground invasion aimed at stopping a heavy barrage of rocket attacks against Israel.

At least 23 Palestinians, including five children, were killed in the air and sea attacks - thought to be the heaviest since a similar Israeli offensive in November 2012 - Palestinian officials said. The Israeli military said the open-ended operation aims to deliver a blow against the Islamic Hamas group, and end the rocket fire that has reached deeper into Israel. An explosion on the Gaza Strip as one of the sites targeted by Israeli forces goes up in flames Israeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said warplanes early on Wednesday attacked more than 130 sites including Hamas command centers and rocket launchers. Pictured is smoke rising following an airstrike in Gaza City on Tuesday A photo taken from the southern Israeli border shows flames blazing in the Gaza Strip Among the 50 sites in the Gaza Strip the army said it targeted early on Tuesday were four houses it said were 'activity sites' belonging to Hamas militants Thick smoke covers the Gaza Strip following a day of Israeli airstrikes Targets: Hamas said they fired rockets at the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. Israeli authorities reported a rocket striking the city of Hadera and said that four Hamas gunmen were killed in Zikim, after they crossed the Gaza border The immediate aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, after the start of Operation Protective Edge Israeli officials said the government had authorized the army to mobilize an additional 40,000 troops, if needed, for the operation. The army said there were no immediate plans to call up the troops but that they would be activated depending on operational needs. Israel has already mobilized about 1,500 reservists. Israel said it wants to quell the rocket fire which has intensified in recent weeks amid tensions over the killing of three Israeli teenagers and the apparent revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager. Nearly 300 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel in recent weeks, including a barrage of about 80 projectiles on Monday alone, the military said.

Israel has responded with dozens of airstrikes.

It had signalled it would not launch a larger offensive if the militant group Hamas ceased the rocket fire. Military spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner said: 'They chose the direction of escalation. So the mission will go on as long as we feel it is necessary to carry it out. We don't expect it to be a short mission on our behalf.' Smoke rises following an airstrike in the west of Gaza City on Wednesday. Gaza health official Ashraf Al-Kedra says overnight airstrikes killed one militant in south Gaza and an Islamic Jihad operative and five relatives in northern Gaza The Israeli army says it has intensified its offensive on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, striking key Hamas sites in the second day of an operation aimed at quelling rocket fire against Israel An 'Iron Dome' launcher fires an interceptor rocket in southern Israel. Over 15 rockets were fired by Hamas towards Israel and most were intercepted, say authorities Israeli forces launch a counter attack, firing a rocket from their anti-missile system in Ashdod, in southern Israel An interceptor rocket is fired from southern Israel. One Hamas rocket landed in the Jerusalem area, Israeli authorities reported A rocket is fired from Gaza City towards Israel following a day of strikes in the Hamas-controlled region. The group said it targeted Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa Among the 50 sites the army said it targeted early on Tuesday were four houses it said were 'activity sites' belonging to Hamas militants involved in launching rockets at Israel or other militant activity. There were no reported casualties in the strikes.

The military said it also struck three militant compounds, 18 concealed rocket launchers, and other militant infrastructure sites. Most were targeted in airstrikes, and three were attacked from the sea.

Gaza health official Ashraf Al-Kedra said at least nine Palestinian civilians were brought to a Gaza hospital with light to moderate injuries from the airstrikes, including several who suffered from shock. He said some of the injured Palestinians were treated and released. Lt Col Lerner said the army will gradually increase its attacks on Hamas in Gaza under the operation. He said Hamas had amassed about 10,000 rockets, including longer-range rockets that can reach 'up to Tel Aviv and beyond'. People take shelter in a hotel basement in Tel Aviv as air raid sirens drive Israelis indoors. Hamas took credit for rockets fired towards the city Air raid sirens prompted people to evacuate Israel's Mediterranean beaches, taking shelter in nearby hotels An Israeli man carries a young girl in his arms to shelter beside a hotel as air raid sirens sound over Tel Aviv earlier on Tuesday An Israeli man carries a young girl in his arms to shelter beside a hotel as air raid sirens sound over Tel Aviv earlier on Tuesday Tourists take cover against the wall of a hotel as air raid sirens sound in Tel Aviv, marking the deepest attack into Israel by Palestinian forces Smoke rises from the Gaza Strip after an Israeli strike. Beaches were evacuated in Israel after air raid sirens signalled a Palestinian attack

From the safety of a nearby rise, three Israelis watch as smoke rises. The military said the open-ended operation aims to deliver a blow against the Islamic Hamas group

Sun sets on a bomb-hit Gaza Strip. Tuesday's fighting was the heaviest since a similar Israeli offensive in November 2012

Plumes of smoke rise above the skyline of the Gaza Strip, indicating sites targeted by Israeli air strikes during their assault on Tuesday

Massing: The Israeli army has begun building up forces on the border with Gaza, including tanks, after the cabinet approved a stronger stance against the Islamists An Israeli tank moves towards the country's border with the Gaza Strip, as forces prepare for a possible ground invasion

Israeli soldiers take cover near an Iron Dome missile defense system on Tuesday

Israeli combat helicopters fly above the Gaza border line near Ashkelon A blast shakes the Gaza Strip after an attack by Israeli forces. Speaking on the strikes, an Israeli cabinet minister said 'It won't end in a day and it won't end in two days'

Palestinians inspect the destruction of a building as smoke rises from the ruins in Khan Yunis following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Tuesday

A Palestinian girl stands in a destroyed building following an Israeli military strike in Gaza City on Tuesday. The Israeli military has launched an offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, bombing 50 sites, including homes, in air strikes and naval attacks as part of a campaign meant to end Palestinian rocket fire into the Jewish state

The army said Operation Protective Edge intended to strike the Islamic Hamas group and end the rocket fire which has intensified in recent weeks. Pictured is a Palestinian boy carrying belongings from a house which police said was destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis

Gaza health official Ashraf Al-Kedra said at least nine Palestinian civilians were brought to a Gaza hospital with light to moderate injuries from the airstrikes, including several who suffered from shock Palestinians inspect a house that was destroyed during an overnight Israeli airstrike on the city of Khan Yunis

Lt Col Lerner said the army will gradually increase its attacks on Hamas in Gaza and is recruiting additional reservists for a potential ground invasion of Gaza

A Palestinian man inspects a wardrobe door as he finds out what remains of his home following Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip

He said the army was preparing for the possibility that Hamas would launch rockets towards Israel's heartland and its commercial and cultural hub.

Speaking to Israel's Channel 2 TV, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, the country's Cabinet minister for internal security said: ' It won't end in a day and it won't end in two days. It will take time.'



'If we need to go inside in a ground operation, then we will do it. These things are on the table. These options exist. We will not stop anything until the rocket firing ends,' he added during a visit to the rocket-scarred southern city of Ashkelon .



Asked whether there were any efforts to reach a cease-fire, Aharonovitch said, 'Not now.'



The army ordered hundreds of thousands of Israelis within a 40-kilometre (25-mile) radius of the Gaza Strip, including Israelis in the major southern city of Beersheva, to stay indoors and near shelters, Lt Col Lerner said. Nurseries and summer camps in the area were cancelled.



Lt Col Lerner said last month's kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank was connected to the intensified rocket fire carried out by Hamas militants in Gaza. Israel blames Hamas for the teenagers' abduction and is conducting a manhunt for two Hamas-affiliated Palestinians in the West Bank it believes carried out the kidnapping and killing.

Israel bombarded dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, stepping up what it said might become a long-term offensive against Islamist Hamas after a surge in Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli towns Lt Col Lerner said last month's kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank was connected to the intensified rocket fire carried out by Hamas militants in Gaza. Pictured is what police said was an Israeli air strike in Rafah Palestinians inspect the area near a huge crater following an airstrike in Gaza City on Tuesday Smoke rises following what witnesses said was an Israeli air strike in Gaza City A missile is launched by an 'Iron Dome' battery, a short-range missile defence system designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod

Israeli artillery flares illuminate the sky over Gaza City following an air strike

The Israeli government has not yet provided proof of Hamas's involvement in the kidnapping.



'The abduction of the three boys only cost them, and they had no gains from it,' Lt Col Lerner said. 'Therefore they have increased their involvement in rocket fire,' he said, adding that nearly all of the rocket fire at Israel on Monday was carried out by Hamas, not militants affiliated with other groups. He said Hamas was 'trying to gain clout'.

Tensions have been high since the three Israeli teenagers kidnapped on June 12 in the West Bank were later found dead, followed by last week's killing of the Palestinian youth in what many suspect was a revenge attack. Throughout the unrest, Gaza militants have launched more than 300 rockets and mortars into Israel.

On Monday, Hamas militants in Gaza fired 'dozens' of rockets into southern Israel after six of its men died in an Israeli airstrike, the Islamist group said.



The bombardment was confirmed by the Israeli army which said militants had launched 'a few dozen rockets' within a short period of time.

At least four rockets were intercepted over Netivot by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, while another 16 struck the area around the southern city of Beersheva, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Gaza, and which is home to 200,000 people, the army said.

Media reports put the number of rockets at around 40, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Sirens sounded in several locations south of Tel Aviv, public radio said.

The rocket fire was claimed by Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, in a statement. It said: 'Al-Qassam fired dozens of rockets on Netivot and Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ofakim in response to the Zionist aggression.'

A Palestinian boy carries belongings from a house which police said was destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday

Palestinians try to salvage what they can of their belongings from the rubble of a house destroyed by an overnight Israeli airstrike in Gaza City

The Israeli military also mobilised troops for a possible ground invasion aimed at stopping a recent barrage of rocket attacks against Israel. Pictured are Palestinians inspecting the destruction in Khan Yunis following the Israeli airstrikes

Shortly afterwards, the Israeli air force hit more than 30 targets near the southern city of Rafah in an area close to the Israeli border which is riddled with tunnels.

Israel's Channel 1 television said the attacks came after the security cabinet gave the military a green light to 'toughen the response to Hamas.'

The channel also showed footage of dozens of tanks massing near the border with Gaza, preparing for a possible offensive against the enclave.

'With this barrage of rockets, Hamas has crossed the red line and unfortunately, it will pay for it,' senior officials told Israel's Channel 10 television.

The rocket fire came several hours after Israel staged around 16 air strikes on targets across Gaza, following a night in which warplanes had attacked 14 more targets, killing at least three militants.

Another five Hamas militants died and one was left in critical condition when a tunnel collapsed near the southern city of Rafah on Monday, with the movement blaming it on an Israeli air strike.

But the Israeli army denied hitting the area where the tunnel was, with a spokesman describing it as a work accident by militants handling explosives.

Palestinians inspect the wreckage of a vehicle which was hit by an Israeli air strike, in Gaza City

The father of killed Hamas militant Rashad Yassin, 28, grieves at the morgue of the al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza strip

The news arrived as earlier on Monday it was reported that three of the six Jewish suspects arrested over the murder of a Palestinian teenager have confessed.

Citing police, Israeli media said the trio had been suspected of involvement in the abduction and murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, 16, whose body was found burned in a Jerusalem forest on July 2.

An anonymous security source was quoted as saying: 'Three out of six suspects in custody have confessed to the murder and burning of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and performed a re-enactment of the crime in front of officers.'

Palestinian officials say preliminary post mortem results show his lungs contained smoke, meaning he was alive and breathing while he was set alight.

Investigators said they believed the crime had been carried out for 'nationalistic motives' - meaning that Mohammed had been targeted because he was Palestinian.

It is the closest Israeli officials have come yet to confirming the belief of the teenager's family that he had been killed in revenge for the murder of three Israeli youths, whose bodies had been found in the West Bank two days earlier.

Members of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas are suspected to have committed those murders.

The Iron Dome air-defence system fires to intercept a rocket over the city of Ashdod in Israel

Israeli soldiers stand on Merkava tanks in an army deployment area near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday

An Israeli soldier directs a Merkava tank in an army deployment area near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip

As well as the five militants killed in the tunnel collapse, two more from a different group were also killed in a separate strike. The men were involved in rocket attacks on southern Israeli communities, the Israeli military said.

Israel said it carried out airstrikes on at least '14 terror sites' including 'concealed rocket launchers' in Gaza in retaliation to a recent spike in attacks from Gaza.

About a dozen rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza overnight the military said. One injured a soldier. Gaza militants fired 25 rockets at Israel on Sunday the military said.

Meanwhile Tariq Abu Khdier, 15, the cousin of murdered Abu Khdier, who was badly beaten before being arrested by Israeli forces, was pictured relaxing with his family back home. He was arrested on Thursday when protests over the murder of his cousin turned into a street battle.



It followed days of growing suspicion that Wednesday's murder was carried out in revenge for last month's abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the occupied West Bank.

Their bodies were found last week, and Mohammed was killed just hours after their funeral. His family said news of the arrests brought them little joy.

'I don't have any peace in my heart, even if they captured who they say killed my son,' said his mother Suhair. 'They're only going to ask them questions and then release them. What's the point?'

'They need to treat them the way they treat us. They need to demolish their homes and round them up, the way they do it to our children,' she added.



His father, Hussein, said the family still had not been officially informed of any arrests. 'Even if they rounded up all of Israel, they will not bring my son back,' he said.

Mohammed's killing sparked four days of violent protests that began in Jerusalem and spread to Israeli Arab communities across the north of the country.

Smoke billows from four targets in the town of Rafah, southern Gaza, following air strikes by the Israeli airforce on Monday

The Israeli airforce said it carried out the strikes after Hamas militants launched 'dozens' of rockets (pictured) at the city of Beersheva, 25 miles from Gaza Earlier in the day six Hamas men were killed after a suspected Israeli airstrike hit a tunnel they were in - though Israel denies this, saying instead that explosives the men were handling detonated The fresh exchange of fire comes as Israel builds up tanks along the border after the cabinet approved a stronger stance against Islamic group Hamas

Video taken during the protests showed a figure said to be Tariq being repeatedly beaten in the face by two Israeli policemen who were kneeling on his chest.

An Israeli police spokeswoman claimed the teenager had resisted arrest and attacked police officers.

Tariq's release came after Israeli police had asked a court for permission to continue holding him. Instead the court ordered him to be held at home in Beit Hanina, east Jerusalem.

Tariq's mother told Sky News that Israeli police had tried to prevent her from seeing her son while he was in hospital. Sohair Abu Khdeir said when she finally saw him he was shackled to the bed.

She said the officer standing guard by the room where he was recovering wouldn't let her in until after her husband demanded they be let in.

'And then he finally said "you can go in, just don't touch him, don't speak to him, don't get near him",' said Mrs Abu Khdeir. 'He was handcuffed. His ankles were handcuffed to the bed.'

Mobile phone video footage quickly surfaced after Tariq's arrest which was said to show him being brutally beaten by Israeli police.

Ready to go: A soldier driving an APC takes position on the Israeli side of the border in preparation for what could be an attack on Gaza

Both barrels: The Israeli military say militants have now fired a total of 150 missiles across the border in recent weeks as tensions in the region escalate

Of the rockets fired by Hamas on Monday, four were taken out by the 'Iron Dome' defence battery (pictured) designed to intercept incoming rockets

Subsequent photos of the boy showed him with two black eyes and with his mouth badly swollen, and sparked a U.S. State Department response saying it was 'deeply troubled' by reports of his treatment.

'We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force,' State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

An Israeli police spokeswoman insisted that Tariq was arrested with a slingshot in his possession used to hurl stones at police, along with six other protesters, including some armed with knives.

She added that several officers were hurt in that specific protest, one of many that day. Tariq's father said he witnessed his son's arrest and insisted the boy was not involved in the violence.

His mother, Suha Abu Khdeir, said she did recognise her son afer the attack. 'I couldn't believe it,' she told ABC News. 'When I finally looked over at him, it was a feeling that I've never felt before in my life.'

Police say Tariq was part of a gang of masked youths and that they can't be sure the person in the video is him.

'This is a video edited and biased that does not represent the events,' said Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. 'Obviously incidents took place before or after that the suspects were involved in.'

The incident was part of many protests that have followed the murder of Tariq's cousin Mohammed Abu Khdeir.

Meanwhile in Palestine funerals were taking place on Monday for militants who were killed by a suspected air strike from Israeli forces

Hamas said it fired rockets into Israel in response to 'Zionist aggression', though there were no immediate reports of casualties from the blasts

It came as CCTV footage allegedly showing the teen being approached by a group of men as he sat outside a shop near his home before being bundled into a car was released by his family.

Police had earlier beefed up security in and around Jerusalem. Extra precautions were taken as the funeral coincided with the first Friday prayer services of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Police clashed with hundreds of Palestinians in Ras al-Amud and Wadi Joz in the eastern sector of the city. The day had been calm before Friday prayers, police said, following two days of protests since the boy's death.

The burned body of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir was found on Wednesday in a forest after he was seized near his home in east Jerusalem.

News of his death prompted outrage in his east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Shuafat. Protesters clashed with police for two days, throwing rocks and firebombs while security forces responded with tear gas and stun grenades.

Tragedy: The bodies of Naftali Frenkel, a 16-year-old with dual Israeli-American citizenship (pictured), and two other Israeli teenagers were found on Monday last week Gil-Ad Shaer, 16, was among the Israeli teenagers killed. It is thought the death of Mohammed Abu Khdier could have been in retaliation for their deaths Eyal Yifrah, 19, whose body was found last week

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to calm the situation, condemning Abu Khdeir's killing and vowing to find the attackers.

'We don't know yet the motives or the identities of the perpetrators, but we will. We will bring to justice the criminals responsible for this despicable crime whoever they may be,' Netanyahu said in a speech celebrating U.S. Independence Day at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv. 'Murder, riots, incitement, vigilantism, they have no place in our democracy.'

Already tense Israeli-Palestinian relations increased after three Israeli teenagers, one of which had American citizenship, were abducted in the West Bank on June 12, sparking a massive manhunt that ended with the discovery of their bodies.

