A Palestinian teenager from annexed east Jerusalem was kidnapped and killed early Wednesday in a suspected act of revenge for the murder of three Israeli teens, army radio reported.
The radio said the youth was seen being forced into a car a neighbourhood in the Arab eastern half of the city and his body was found several hours later in another area of the city, describing it as a "suspected revenge attack."
Three Israeli teenagers were snatched from a road in the southern West Bank on June 12 and their bodies were found on Monday in a murder Israel has blamed on the Islamist Hamas movement. They were buried on Tuesday after a day of emotionally-charged funerals, ending a story which has gripped the nation.
Israel police said they were investigating reports of a kidnapping and confirmed finding a body but refused to say whether the two incidents were connected.
"In the early hours of Wednesday morning, police received a report of a person being forced into a car in Beit Hanina," police spokeswoman Luba Samri told AFP, referring to a well-heeled east Jerusalem neighbourhood.
"Within an hour, a body was found in Jerusalem that has still not been identified. We are looking to see if there is a connection between the two incidents."
Quoting eye witnesses, army radio said a black car had stopped by a youth who was hitchhiking and he was forced inside. The car then took off.
{{/usCountry}}Quoting eye witnesses, army radio said a black car had stopped by a youth who was hitchhiking and he was forced inside. The car then took off.
{{/usCountry}}Some time later, the family of the youth, who is understood to be around 16, reported him missing, it said.
The body was discovered in a forest in west Jerusalem, the report said.