Kidnapping and murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir
| Kidnapping and murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir | |
|---|---|
| Location | Shuafat, East Jerusalem |
| Date | 2 July 2014 |
|
Attack type
|
Death by bludgeoning and burning |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Perpetrators |
|
| Motive | Revenge for 2014 kidnapping and murder of Israeli teenagers |
The kidnapping and murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir occurred early on the morning of 2 July 2014, a day after the burial of three murdered Israeli teens. Khdeir, a 16-year-old Palestinian, was forced into a car by Israeli settlers on an East Jerusalem street. His family immediately reported the fact to Israeli Police who located his charred body a few hours later at Givat Shaul in the Jerusalem Forest. Preliminary results from the autopsy suggested that he was beaten and burnt while still alive. The murder suspects explained the attack as a response to the abduction and murder of three Israeli teens on 12 June. The murders contributed to a breakout of hostilities in the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict.
On Sunday, 6 July, police took into custody six Jewish suspects for interrogation, stating that they believed the murder was most likely carried out by 'terrorists' as revenge. One confessed quickly, incriminating three others, some of them minors, and they were put on remand for 8 days. Within a day, three had confessed and reenacted the murder at the scene of the crime. Three other suspects were released as unconnected with the crime, though they heard about it from the alleged murderers.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blamed the murder on the Israeli government and demanded Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemn it "as we condemned the kidnapping of the three Israelis". The attack was widely condemned in Israel. Khdeir's family members have, however, blamed government incitement for the murder and rejected the PM's condolence message, as well as a visit by then President Shimon Peres. The day the suspects were arrested, the family of one of the Israeli victims, the Fraenkels, called the family of Abu Khdeir to condemn the murder and offer their condolences. The Fraenkels said they understand the magnitude of the loss and that they oppose any act of violence either by Jews or Arabs. The murder was condemned by the families of the three murdered Israeli teens, who sent Khdeir's family their condolences.
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Wikipedia