Three people have confessed to murdering a Palestinian teenager whose death sparked riots in occupied East Jerusalem, the AP news agency and Israeli media have said.

An unnamed Israeli official told AP the suspects on Monday were re-enacting the killing of Mohammed Abu Khdeir for authorities. Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post newspapers reported similar comments by unnamed officials.

The reports cannot be fully confirmed by Al Jazeera due to a gagging order on the case.

Abu Khedeir, 16, was abducted near his home last week as he went to morning prayer, and his charred remains were found in a forest outside the city.

Israeli police arrested six people in connection with his death, which Palestinians say was a revenge attack for the murder of three young settlers last month. Those arrested included children.

The teenager's death led to several days of violent protests in Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem.

The confession reports came just hours after Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, spoke to the father of Abu Khdeir, and promised to bring his killers to trial.

His office said in a statement that he had told Hussein Abu Khdeir that his son's killing was "reprehensible".

"We denounce all brutal behaviour; the murder of your son is abhorrent and cannot be countenanced by any human being," Netanyahu said according to the statement.

Those responsible for the death would be "dealt with to the fullest extent of the law", he said.