Jerusalem (CNN) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday blamed Hamas for abducting three teenagers who went missing in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. “This morning I can say what I was unable to say yesterday before the extensive wave of arrests of Hamas members in Judea and Samaria,” he said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting. “Those who perpetrated the abduction of our youths were members of Hamas — the same Hamas that Abu Mazen made a unity government with; this has severe repercussions.” Abu Mazen is another name for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Previously, Netanyahu had said the three youths were abducted by “a terrorist organization,” but he didn’t name it. Israeli soldiers have detained about 80 Palestinian suspects in the search for the three teens, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday. Netanyahu on Saturday gave security forces the OK to use “all measures” at their disposal to find the teenagers. Gilad Shaar, 16; Naftali Frenkel, 16; and Eyal Yifrach, 19, have been missing since late Thursday or Friday, and were last seen around Gush Etzion, according to the IDF. “The IDF remains committed in resolving this endeavor, and will use all means at hand in order to do so,” spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said. “We are determined in bringing the boys home in a [hasty] manner, in safety and in good health. Palestinian terrorists will not feel safe, will not be able to hide and will feel the heavy arm of the Israeli military capabilities.” Earlier, while not specifying which group he thought was responsible, Netanyahu stated that “it is the responsibility” of the Palestinian Authority to do something about the teens. He said he’s asked Abbas “to do everything to help bring them back in peace.” Netanyahu said he’s given security forces orders to locate the teenagers and prevent them from being moved to Gaza or any other place. Dozens of Palestinians were arrested in the southern part of the West Bank and Israeli forces have been reinforced by a paratroop brigade, an Israeli military source said. The IDF is looking at all scenarios as it seeks to identify who is behind the believed kidnapping, and it has not ruled out the possibility that the perpetrators will try to reach Gaza, the source said. There is ongoing security coordination with the Palestinian security services, who understand that this “is not just some terror attack. It has substantial meaning to us,” the source said. A burned-out car is being examined for any possible connection to the teens’ disappearance. The deployment of military assets to search for the teens, and the swift presumption of kidnapping, are a reflection of the tensions that exist between Jewish settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank. The expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank has been a lasting point of contention in the region. It has altered the map of the Palestinian territories, making it more difficult to draw a contiguous Palestinian state as part of any peace agreement, according to critics. The highly contentious issue of Israeli construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians seek for a future state, has hurt peace efforts.
