Israel said Hamas militants abducted three Israeli teenagers in the occupied West Bank, warning of "serious consequences" as it pressed on with a search and detained dozens of Palestinians on Sunday, according to The Associated Press.
The two 16-year-olds and one 19-year-old were seminary students in a Jewish settlement bloc before disappearing on Thursday, the AP reported. There has been no public claim of responsibility for the kidnapping so far.
"These teenagers were kidnapped and the kidnapping was carried out by Hamas members," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters, referring to the Palestinian Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, according to the AP.
Since the three teenagers vanished, apparently while hitchhiking, the Israeli army has carried out house-to-house searches, round-ups and interrogations in the Palestinian city of Hebron and outlying villages, the AP reported.
Israeli troops used explosives to force their way into a Hebron home belonging to a Hamas-linked family after occupants did not admit them, said Palestinian witnesses, who also heard gunfire during the incident, according to the AP. They said two people inside were hurt and, along with a third man, were taken away by soldiers.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stopped short of a clear denial or confirmation the group was involved, the AP reported.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who had mediated peace talks that Netanyahu called off after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to a power-sharing deal with Hamas in April, gave qualified backing to the prime minister's allegation, according to the AP.
"We are still seeking details on the parties responsible for this despicable terrorist act, although many indications point to Hamas' involvement," Kerry said in a statement, the AP reported. "As we gather this information, we reiterate our position that Hamas is a terrorist organisation known for its attacks on innocent civilians and which has used kidnapping in the past."
