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Israel arrests nearly 100 Palestinians over PM Benjamin Netanyahu's claim Hamas kidnapped three missing Israeli teens

ZIonist PM again condemns President Mahmoud Abbas for unity with Hamas and holds him responsible for youths' disappearance

Israeli troops arrested more than 80 Palestinians yesterday, including dozens of Hamas members, in an overnight raid in the West Bank.

The arrests came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Islamist militant group of kidnapping three Israeli teenagers who went missing nearly three days ago.

A Palestinian group representing prisoners said that about 100 were arrested in the raid, including some who have been jailed in the past.

The raid was concentrated in Hebron.

Mr Netanyahu has condemned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s recent peace deal with Hamas and seized the opportunity to hold him responsible for the safety of the youths, who disappeared while hitchhiking late on Thursday.

They were last seen in the Gush Etzion group of Israeli settlements near Hebron.

Palestinian officials condemned the raid and rejected Mr Netanyahu’s contention that they were in any way responsible.

Speaking to his cabinet yesterday, Mr Netanyahu claimed that there was no doubt who was responsible.

“Those who perpetrated the abduction of our youths were members of Hamas, the same Hamas that Abu Mazen (President Abbas) made a unity government with.

This has severe repercussions,” he threatened, but presented no evidence of Hamas responsibility for the youths’ disappearance.

A Hamas website said more than 60 of those arrested were its members, including senior figures Hassan Yousef, Wasfi Qabaha, Khaled Abu Arafeh and Mohammed Totah.

The Israeli military also detained supporters of Islamic Jihad.

“Palestinian terrorists will feel the heavy arm of the Israeli military capabilities,” claimed military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner.

However, like his political masters, Col Lerner appeared unable to present any evidence to justify his threats.

The Palestinian government, which administers 38 per cent of the West Bank, has insisted that it is not to blame, saying that the teenagers went missing in territory under full Israeli control.

“The Israeli government cannot blame the Palestinians for security issues in areas that are not controlled by them,” said Palestinian unity government spokesman Ehab Bseiso.

In the Gaza Strip, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri dismissed claims of Hamas involvement in the abductions as “silly.”

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