The kidnappers and murderers of the three Israeli youths abducted in June were killed this morning in an operation by Israeli security forces in Hebron. Following a complex intelligence operation by General Security Service, the two men, Marwan Kawasmeh (29) and Amer Abu-Eisha (33), were located in a house in Hebron, and were killed in an exchange of fire with the Israel Police anti-terror unit (Yamam) and IDF troops.
Kawasmeh and Abu-Eisha were identified as the men who kidnapped and shot teenagers Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel, who were hitch-hiking home from their school, Mekor Chaim, in Kibbutz Kfar Etzion. The two men were members of a Hamas cell in Hebron. Several people suspected of helping them hide after the murders have been arrested.
Rachel Fraenkel, mother of Naftali, told Wallah! News, "The whole time, two men with pistols and automatic weapons have been on the loose with nothing to lose. We were concerned that other innocent people might be harmed. I'm glad that the matter has ended without injury to anyone in our security services."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 23, 2014
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