The body of an Israeli was returned to his family yesterday morning after negotiations that avoided “violent” clashes, according to an Israeli army statement, after Palestinian militants detained him in the Jenin camp, which is a stronghold of armed groups.
And outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid vowed on Wednesday that “the kidnappers will pay a heavy price” if they don’t return the young man’s body.
The family of Tiran Ferro, a 17-year-old Druze, said militants abducted him from a hospital in Jenin after he was seriously injured in a traffic accident in the city.
And the Israeli army announced in a statement that “thanks to the efforts of the security forces and in coordination with the Palestinian authorities, the body of an Israeli who died on Tuesday in a traffic accident in Jenin was handed over to his family in Israel.”
So far, neither side has claimed responsibility, but local sources told AFP that Palestinian militants seized the body at the Jenin camp, which houses members of Hamas, Jihad and Fatah.
“From our point of view, there were two ways to take the body: either through the Palestinian Authority, or through an armed operation in the city, in the camp, which is likely to be very, very cruel,” the military said. foreign press during a press conference.
The official explained that the Palestinian authorities, led by Mahmoud Abbas, have been in intensive negotiations in recent hours to convince the militants to return the body in order to avoid violent clashes and consequences for the economy of this sector of the West Bank.
Palestinian groups have previously kidnapped Israelis, dead or alive, to exchange them for Palestinian prisoners and recover the bodies of Palestinian activists who fell in clashes with Israeli forces.
