3 MURDERED TEENAGERS - ISRAEL HOLDS FUNERAL

The funerals are taking place in Israel of three teenagers who were abducted and murdered while hitch-hiking in the occupied West Bank.

Addressing thousands of mourners, PM Benjamin Netanyahu described their killers as
"heinous murderers".

Israel has blamed the Palestinian militant group Hamas for the deaths. Hamas has denied any involvement.

The youths' bodies were found on Monday evening, more than two weeks after the trio went missing.

Mr Netanyahu has said Hamas will be made to pay a price for the killings.

Speaking at the joint funeral held for Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach in central Israel, Mr Netanyahu said "a broad moral gulf separates us from our enemy. They sanctify death, we sanctify life".

He added: "This day has spontaneously become a national day of mourning. The whole nation prayed for the boys to come home... The whole nation stood together and was reminded of who we are, why we are here."

Overnight, Israel launched more than 30 air strikes on facilities linked to militant groups in the Gaza Strip after 18 rockets had been fired into Israel since Sunday night, the Israeli military reported.

The abductions of Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach sparked a massive search operation

The funeral is taking place at Modein cemetery in central Israel. Modein, which is between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, is close to the boys' family homes.

The teenagers' bodies were found under a pile of rocks near the Palestinian town of Halhul. An Israeli official said it appeared the youths had been shot soon after their abduction.

Culled from BBC