THOUSANDS of Israelis attended the joint funeral of three murdered teenagers today in the central town of Modein, close to their homes.

Separate ceremonies in their home towns had taken place earlier.

Seminary students Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel had not been seen since they began hitchhiking in the Israeli-occupied West Bank over a fortnight ago.

Their bodies were found on Monday in a pit under a pile of rocks near the Palestinian town of Halhul. They had been shot.

Halhul has since been cordoned off by the occupation forces.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killing of the three young men, as he had their presumed kidnappings, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected his sympathy.

The Israeli leader’s sole priority has been to insist that President Abbas turn his back on the national unity government demanded by the Palestinian people.

Mr Netanyahu has asserted Hamas responsibility for the three murders and warned: “Hamas will pay.”

His security service Shin Bet has identified, without evidence, Hebron residents Ayoub al-Kawasma and Abu Aisheh as suspects and the Israeli army has blown up the homes where their families lived.

The Israeli Cabinet met on Monday evening to discuss a military response to the murders.

Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon proposed a new wave of illegal West Bank settlements to commemorate the three young men. 

Economy Minister Naftali Bennett damned Mr Netanyahu’s proposals as “weak and disgraceful.”

He is pushing for a large-scale military operation in Gaza and wants the death penalty for those he sees as terrorists.

Hundreds of Israeli rightwingers marched through Jerusalem streets chanting: “Death to the Arabs.”

Israeli troops shot dead a 20-year-old Palestinian in Jenin, offering the excuse that he had thrown a grenade at them. 

His family said that he had been carrying eggs for a pre-dawn Ramadan meal.

The Israeli air force continued its aerial bombardment of dozens of targets in Gaza last night, which it identified as linked to Hamas.

Mr Netanyahu’s Cabinet was scheduled to meet for further discussion on a response to the three murders, which the Prime Minister said he wanted to be unanimous.