Bodies of Kidnapped Teens Found

After eighteen days of relentless searching for the three kidnapped teens – Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel – who were abducted on June 12th at a hitchhiking post south of Jerusalem, Operation Brother’s Keeper has sadly come to a tragic end.

Israeli searchers, comprised of IDF soldiers and lead by Yaron Rosenthal, found the bodies of the teenagers Monday in an area located between Halhul and Karmei Tzur, north of Hebron in the West Bank. It’s since been sealed off as a military zone.

The parents of the three teenagers were informed shortly after.

Throughout Operation Brother’s Keeper, 400 Palestinians were arrested in the search to bring back our boys safely, many of whom are members of known terrorist group Hamas.

On Thursday, Israeli authorities had named two Hamas members as the main suspects for the kidnapping, Amerr Abu Aysha and Marwan Kawasme, who have been missing from their homes since the kidnapping took place.

Israel’s security cabinet will hold an emergency session later tonight; meanwhile, both Abu Aysha and Kawasme remain at large.

According to Israel’s Channel 2 news, the teens were killed shortly after their abduction. The news comes just a day after 85,000 rallied together at Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square to show their support for the teen’s families, who spoke at the rally alongside soon-to-be President Reuven Rivlin.

The kidnapping of the Israeli teens has been the sole topic of conversation in Israel and in Israeli media these past three weeks, with the hashtag #BringBackOurBoys used to show our solidarity with the teens’ families during this difficult time. Several rallies in Diaspora communities have also took place, and even a billboard was erected in Times Square asking to bring our boys home safely.

A recent op-ed we published spoke of how Jewish prayer and unity has increased tenfold in Israel since this tragic occurrence began. Hopefully, somehow, they will be able to help us find solace now.

Our hearts go out to the parents, families and loved ones of Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel