VARIOUS: TWO ISRAELI TEENAGERS FOUND STONED TO DEATH IN CAVE.

Record ID: 400495

  • Title: VARIOUS: TWO ISRAELI TEENAGERS FOUND STONED TO DEATH IN CAVE.
  • Date: 9th May 2001
  • Summary: TEKOA, WEST BANK (MAY 9, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS: ISRAELI SECURITY FORCES REMOVING THE BODY OF ONE OF THE YOUTHS MURDERED/ BODIES OF YOUTHS PLACED IN WAITING AMBULANCE/ BODIES IN THE AMBULANCE (6 SHOTS) 0.56 JERUSALEM (MAY 9, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 2. GV: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON ARRIVING AT PARLIAMENT 1
  • Embargoed: 24th May 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TEKOA AND RAMALLAH, WEST BANK/ RAFAH, GAZA / JERUSALEM / VALLATTA, MALTA
  • City:
  • Country: Gaza Gaza Gaza West Bank West Bank Jerusalem Jerusalem Malta
  • Reuters ID: LVA5M17Q0U0RP2ZW2GE76PXKVQVY
  • Story Text: Two Israeli teenagers from a Jewish
    settlement in the West Bank have been found stoned to death in a cave
    in what Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called an escalation of
    Palestinian violence.



    A search party found the teenagers' bound
    bodies in a
    cave on Wednesday (May 9) near the Tekoa Jewish
    settlement,
    east of Bethlehem, Israeli police said.

    Police said they suspected Palestinians --
    possibly
    thieves -- had stoned the two 14-year-olds to death
    and dumped
    their bound bodies in a Judean Desert cave along a
    river bed
    near Tekoa settlement, 13 km (eight miles), south
    of
    Jerusalem.

    They said they believed the teenagers were
    killed for
    "nationalistic reasons" by Palestinians.

    Israeli police spokesman said that an initial
    examination
    of the bodies indicated the youths had been stoned
    and beaten
    to death.

    Saying he was "deeply shocked", Israeli Prime
    Minister
    Ariel Sharon said the killings signalled "an
    escalation of
    Palestinian violence."
    "It is additional escalation in terror
    activities and
    violence by the Palestinians against innocent
    civilians," he
    said.

    Sharon blamed Palestinian President Yasser
    Arafat for the
    killings and added that he will hold him
    responsible.

    Speaking in Ramallah, Palestinian chief
    negotiator Saeb
    Erekat said Israel was responsible for the latest
    wave of
    violence.

    "We do not condone the killing of civilians.

    At the same
    time we hold the Israeli government fully
    responsible for the
    deaths that took place outside," Erekat said.

    Addressing nearly 200,000 people in Malta
    Pope John Paul
    asked for the world to pray for the victims of
    violence in the
    Middle East. He said: "I hear some news of the Holy
    Land, of
    violence even against innocent young people. We
    must all
    intensify our prayers for those in the land of
    Jesus."
    Tekoa settlement residents said the dead
    youths, aged 14,
    disappeared on Tuesday (May 8) while hiking along a
    river bed
    adjacent to the settlement.

    The teenagers had gone hiking instead of going
    to school
    in Jerusalem and a search party was arranged after
    they failed
    to return home on Tuesday night.

    Meanwhile a Palestinian woman and her child
    have been
    injured during a fire exchange which erupted in
    Rafah, in
    southern Gaza between Israeli troops and
    Palestinian gunmen.

    At least 408 Palestinians, 77 Israelis and 13
    Israeli
    Arabs have been killed since Palestinians began a
    revolt
    against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and
    Gaza Strip
    last September.



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