Israeli teen found dead in West Bank; IDF claims he was murdered in terror attack

Israeli military on Saturday (April 13) said the body of anIsraeli teenager was found, who went missing in the West Bank.

The 14-year-old Jerusalem resident Benjamin Achimeir was likely killed in a Palestinian attack in the occupied West Bank.

It is worth mentioning here, the teenager went missing on Friday (April 12), when he went out on Friday morning from a farm near the outpost of Malachei Shalom to go shepherding. Few hours later, the sheep returned to the farm without him.

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IDF and Shin Bet security agency said in a joint statement that the teen boy was murdered in a terror attack.

The body of 14-year-old Binyamin Achimair was located in the area of Malachei HaShalom a short while ago.

Binyamin went missing yesterday morning (Friday) and was murdered in a terrorist attack.

Security forces continue the pursuit after those suspected of his murder. — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 13, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the assailants would be found and punished and he called on Israelis not to get in the way of security forces.

He further said, “the heinous murder” of Achimeir was a “serious crime. I send my heartfelt condolences to his family,” Netanyahu also said in a statement published by his office.”

“We will get the murderers and those who helped them, as we do to anyone who harms the citizens of the State of Israel,” the statement continued.

Earlier on Friday, as Israeli forces searched for the teen overnight, Jewish settlers in the area entered a nearby Palestinian village and set houses and cars ablaze.

One person was killed in that rampage, Palestinian medics said, though it was unclear whether he was shot by Israeli forces or settlers.

The settlers also blocked entrances to two more towns in the area on Saturday and threw stones at passing vehicles, Palestinian official news agency Wafa said.

Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian group fighting Israeli forces on a mission to crush its militants in Gaza, issued a statement on Saturday urging Palestinians in the West Bank to fight against what it described as "settler militias".

Violence in the West Bank have remained high since October 7, when Hamas burst through the Gaza border into Israel in a Hamas-led attack, killing at least 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seizing 253 hostages.

(With inputs from agencies)