3 Teens Were Kidnapped by Terrorists: Netanyahu

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed last night that three teenage boys, one of whom has dual Israeli-American citizenship, have been kidnapped by terrorists after disappearing Thursday night in the West Bank. "Our boys were kidnapped by a terrorist organization. Plain and simple, there’s no doubt about it," Netanyahu said. He didn't name the organization, but said the kidnapping was the result of the unity government recently forged between Fatah and Hamas. Netanyahu said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is responsible, but a Palestinian Authority spokesperson says Israel is to blame for "illegally bringing settlers into the territories of the State of Palestine."

In his first public address since the two 16-year-olds and one 19-year-old disappeared, Netanyahu continued, "To my regret, this event underscores what we have been saying—myself, the Defense Minister, and the Government of Israel—for many months: The pact with Hamas has led to very harsh results, results which are the exact opposite of advancing peace between us and the Palestinians. All of the terrorist organizations—Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the other terrorist organizations—are committed to the destruction of Israel and they draw encouragement from this pact." (More Benjamin Netanyahu stories.)