JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Wednesday demanded that the Palestinian Authority “immediately halt terrorist activities and venomous incitement to murder Israeli civilians and Jews” following the brutal murders of two teenagers at the Gush Etzion settlement of Tekoa in the West Bank.
The bodies of Ya’akov Mandell, 13, who held American and Israeli citizenships, and Yosef Ishran were discovered Wednesday morning inside a cave not far from their community. Their heads had been smashed in by rocks and their bodies had been stabbed with knives, according to investigators.
The boys’ families discovered they were missing around midnight Tuesday after the pair had skipped school to go hiking. The families said they believed the boys had gone to school and then on to a demonstration in Jerusalem.
A curfew was placed on the nearby Arab village, also called Tekoa, and soldiers set up roadblocks in the area in an attempt to prevent the terrorists from fleeing.
By Wednesday night, security forces had arrested at least 15 Palestinians from Bethlehem, seeking to determine if they were involved in the brutal murders, according to radio reports.
A group called Hezbollah-Palestine claimed responsibility, apparently as revenge for the killing of 4-month-old Iman Hijo, who died in Khan Yunis on Monday. An anonymous caller claiming to represent the group told news agencies it would continue to attack Israelis until they are forced off Palestinian land.
Sharon condemned the murders and held the Palestinian Authority directly responsible. “The horrific murders constitute an additional escalation in the Palestinians’ violent terrorist activities against innocent civilian populations,” he said.
“We will catch those who are responsible for the horrific murder and those who sent them,” Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer declared.
The United States also expressed outrage over the “vicious murder.”
In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk said: “It is unacceptable that children have so often become the victims of this bloody conflict. It is time to put an end to this violence.”
Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said the Palestinian Authority opposes the killing of civilians, but Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat sidestepped questions about the murders and instead spoke about the Palestinian infant.
“A small baby has been exposed to the same tragedy,” he said.
Shaul Goldstein, chairman of a regional settlers council, warned that if the Israel Defense Force fails to respond to the violence, settlers might take the law into their own hands.
“The fuse is very short, and we must remember that Yasser Arafat is the murderer responsible for the deaths of the two youths,” he said.
“I stand here today and vow that we will deliver a response; today’s murder will not be left unanswered. If we know that residents of a specific village only enter our communities to steal and murder, then they must be prevented from reaching us,” he said.
Later Wednesday, a fresh round of violence began.
IDF forces briefly entered an agricultural area in a Palestinian-controlled part of the Gaza Strip near Beit Hanoun from which, the IDF said, the Palestinians have launched attacks on Israeli targets.
Palestinian sources said the IDF destroyed a police station. The IDF said the troops operated in agricultural areas only.