Palestinian given life for killing of 3 Israeli settler teens

An Israeli military court on Tuesday handed three life sentences to a Palestinian convicted of organising the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli settler teenagers this summer. 

Hossam Qawasme, 41, was also ordered to pay 250,000 shekels ($63,000) in compensation to each of the three families at a hearing at Ofer military court near the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Qawasme, a Hamas member, was arrested back in August in connection with organising and financing the 12 June kidnapping of the three settler teens - Eyal Yifrach, 19, and Gil-ad Sha’er and Naftali Frankel, both 16 - who were shot dead near Hebron. 

Their killing helped to trigger a series of events which led to a deadly 50-day war in Gaza, including the alleged revenge killing in July, of a Palestinian teenager, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was abducted and burned to death in Jerusalem by three suspected Jewish assailants who have since been charged with murder.

"The accused [Qawasme] was convicted of the most serious crimes .. the cold-blooded and terrible murder of three young people who were going home to their families," court documents said. 

"As a result of his actions, the accused is sentenced to three life terms. He will be removed from society and spend the rest of his life in prison. In addition he will pay compensation of 250,000 shekels to each of the families of the youths."

Prosecutors said he was the mastermind behind the killings and was convicted last week on charges of "participating in the kidnapping and murder of Naftali Frenkel, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaer on 12 June," an Israeli army statement said.

Qawasme's two accomplices, Amer Abu Eisha, 32, and Marwan Qawasme, 29, who the army said carried out the attack, were shot dead during an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers in the southern West Bank city of Hebron in September. 

Israel blamed the bloodshed on Hamas, but while some movement leaders hailed the attack, Hamas was quick to deny any involvement, saying that the three were operating independently. 

The June abduction near Hebron sparked a massive manhunt in which hundreds of Palestinians were arrested and at least five killed.

The operation triggered a surge in rocket fire from Gaza which Israeli officials cite as their main reason for the July-August war that left nearly 2,200 Palestinians dead, most of them civilians, and 73 in Israel, mostly soldiers. Palestinians argue that the war was premeditaed and thus not the real reason for the Israeli military operation dubbed Operation Protective Edge.