Israel cracks down on Hamas amid search for teens
Associated Press By KARIN LAUB and JOSEF FEDERMAN
June 16, 2014

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel warned Monday it would exact a heavy price from Hamas, as a massive search for three missing Jewish seminary students turned into the widest crackdown on the Islamic militant group in the West Bank in almost a decade.

Israel has blamed Hamas for the apparent abductions, without providing proof, and has arrested more than 150 Palestinians since the three teens disappeared in the West Bank late Thursday.

Abbas condemned both the apparent kidnapping and a "series of Israeli violations" in a statement Monday. He referred to the arrests and the killing of a 20-year-old Palestinian by Israeli army fire early Monday, during a confrontation between stone throwers and soldiers in a West Bank refugee camp.

Despite the pitched rhetoric, Palestinian security officials have worked with Israeli counterparts to try to locate the missing teens, Palestinian officials said.

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Hamas has begun "paying a heavy price, both in terms of arrests and assets," suggesting the aim is to try to dismantle the Hamas infrastructure in the West Bank. It's not clear how far Israel will go, though, considering the risk of a conflagration in the West Bank after several years of relative calm.

Israel has not provided evidence of Hamas involvement in the disappearance of the teens. Asked about Israel's claim, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that while Hamas has used similar tactics in the past, "I don't want to jump to a conclusion" at this time.