Palestinians appeal to world for intervention over 'Israeli violations'

Palestinian officials Wednesday called on the international community to intervene to rescue hunger-striking prisoners and to stop what they termed as "Israeli violations" against the Palestinians.

"The Israeli government has been punishing the Palestinian people in general and the prisoners in particular since Palestinian factions signed their reconciliation agreement in Gaza," Minister of Detainees Shawqi Issa told a press conference in Ramallah.

He said that Israel has intensified its punitive measures since three Israeli settlers went missing in the West Bank last Thursday.

Rival groups Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation deal late April to heal their years-long rift, which resulted in the formation of a unity government.

In Israel, the deal received cool reception with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of preferring Hamas to peace with Israel.

Israel accused Hamas of abducting the three settlers and launched a massive campaign of detentions against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Issa likened Israel's conduct following the disappearance of the three teens with that of a "furious fox".

"It destroys everything around it, even as there is nothing to prove that Palestinians were involved in the alleged kidnap of the three settlers," he said.

He went on to accuse Israel of violating international laws by collectively punishing the Palestinian people, calling for "international intervention" to stop the Israeli practices.

Issa also called on Egypt to intervene following the Israeli detention of Palestinians who were freed in 2011 as part of a prisoner swap deal sponsored by Egypt.

Khalida Jarrar, the head of the Detainees Committee at the Palestinian Legislative Council, meanwhile, called on the Palestinian leadership to appeal to the United Nations to intervene to what he described as Israel's collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

US urges 'restraint' as Israel hunts kidnappers

On the same day, The United States called on both Israel and the Palestinians to show restraint as Israelis tightened their grip on the West Bank hunting for three kidnapped teenagers.

"We recognize this is an incredibly sensitive and difficult circumstance on the ground, and we feel all sides should exercise restraint," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.

Israeli troops have pressed their biggest arrest operation in years, imposing a tight lockdown on huge swathes of the West Bank in the hunt for the three boys kidnapped six days ago.

So far, there has been no claim of responsibility for the teens' disappearance.

Since the Israeli searches began early Friday, troops have arrested 240 Palestinians, searched more than 800 locations and raided 10 Hamas-run institutions, the army said.

Gilad Shaer and Naftali Frenkel, both 16, and 19-year-old Eyal Ifrach, went missing late Thursday from a popular hitchhiking spot near Gush Etzion settlement bloc in the southern West Bank.

Psaki confirmed Wednesday that Frenkel is also a US citizen and said US officials had been in touch with his family.

"We urge both sides to exercise restraint and avoid the types of steps that could destabilize the situation," she warned.

US officials have been in touch with both Israelis and Palestinians since the kidnappings.

"We know this is a difficult time, obviously, on the ground,' she said, adding Washington was urging continued security cooperation between the two sides.