Last week’s Hamas kidnapping of three teens follows dozens of attempts to kidnap innocent Israelis. Since the beginning of 2013, Israel has foiled 64 planned abductions, many of them at the hands of Hamas terrorists.
Eyal Yifrach (left), Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frankel were kidnapped Thursday by Hamas.
Since Thursday, Israeli forces have been searching extensively for Hamas terrorists who kidnapped three teenagers near the community of Gush Etzion in Judea and Samaria. The young Israeli civilians – Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Frankel, 16 – were on their way home to their families when they were abducted. As part of their ongoing operation, IDF forces have arrested about 150 Palestinian suspects.
A History of Hamas Abductions
Last week’s Hamas kidnapping is the latest in series of terrorist abductions. In 2006, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, killing two soldiers and kidnapping a third, Gilad Shalit. The organization held Shalit in captivity until in 2011, when Israel agreed to exchange 1,027 convicted terrorists for his release.
To read the full story on the IDF blog, click HERE.