Gush Etzion – Officials are piecing together the events of the night when Eyal Yifrach, 19; Naftali Fraenkel, 16; and Gil-ad Shaar, 16, were kidnapped, and now know the boys realized quickly they were in danger.
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The three were waiting at Geva’ot Intersection on June 12, in the Etzion Bloc south of Jerusalem, at approximately 10:15 p.m. They were looking for a ride west toward Beit Shemesh first, and then going to go to their homes The Times of Israel reports (http://bit.ly/1sSJ4wa).
It has since been established that the kidnappers, Hamas terrorists Amer Abu Aysha and Marwan Kawasme, only saw one of the boys at first, then realized they could be outnumbered by the three of them. Sources say that may have been the factor in the boys’ death.
One of the boys realized the danger they were in and placed a call to the police at 10:25 p.m. He whispered, “We’ve been kidnapped.” The call lasted just over two minutes and then cut off. The officer called back eight times, but reached voicemail five times and received a busy signal three times.
It is speculated that the kidnappers realized a call had been made and shot the three teens in the backseat of the car.
Security officials state the reason for the kidnapping was to use the boys as bargaining chips for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The killers drove for about 10 more minutes before switching cars. They set the Hyundai i35 on fire.
They moved the bodies to the second vehicle and to the area of the field in the Halhul area where the boys’ bodies were discovered Monday – bound and partially buried. The land where they were found belongs to Kawasme’s family. The kidnappers assumed the police were on their trail and left the area, however, the officer who took the call thought it was a prank and did not pass the information on to superiors. Officials later realized a kidnapping had taken place, sparking Operation Brother’s Keeper in the search for the teens.
Others allegedly involved are still being pursued along with Aysha and Kawasme.
Horrid news to wake up to.
Let us not confuse ourselves. This blood is on the hands of the killers and nobody else.
But, that being said, Bibi said he knew who took these boys. He obviously did not. The security services did not react to the call for help. Then sources in the security services told the media that the silence from the ‘kidnappers’ was because they were most likely travelling with their hostages. All lies and incompetence.
We must find and punish the killers. We must also punish those who did their jobs so poorly.
Blaming anyone , is not going to bring these pure Neshamos back .
As a yeshiva Bochur spending his summer in camp working with kids (very busy) I think the right thing to do to help remember our boys would be to increase in learning torah being that they were yeshiva bochurim even they my day is packed already may we be Zoche to the coming of moshiach amen!!!
In order to help prevent such disasters from repeating hitchhiking must be banned under those circumstances ie late at night, unarmed teens, West Bank, etc. Next, let some Jewish millionaires donate armored vehicles to these yeshivas for transport. What they make in one good day of the stock market could easily do it.
If the police know who the kidnappers and their acomplices were, why all these calls by political hacks and extremists for collective punishments or random executions of hundreds or thousand of Palestinians? Let the security forces bide their time and strike the real terrorists when the time is right. Remember Munich? well this time will be no different.
Though it raises the stakes exponentially, I would suggest blowing up the houses of the two kidnappers – with their immediate, tightly bound family members inside. Will future he-men risk the death of their parents, wife(ves) and children if they knew that the Jews repay their dastardly crimes in spades?
# 6, you think they care about the life of their families. They do not value life at all.
I never thought I would come to say this, but Rabbi Meir Kehana was right; these are mad dogs, not humans, and should be treated as mad dogs.
“…Security officials state the reason for the kidnapping was to use the boys as bargaining chips for the release of Palestinian prisoners..”
I hope the Shalit family and their political supporters who pushed Netanyahu into releasing 1000 terrorists and creating an incentive for future hostage takings are happy. The blood of the three bochurim and others will be on their hands until this mindless policy is reversed and EY says “never again” with regarding to trading prisoners for hostages.
I think it is time to admit the state of Israel doesn’t and can’t protect the Jewish people. Only Thshuva can save us.
An American citizen was butchered. Where is the outcry of the president of the United States?