Netanyahu Holds Abbas Responsible for Safe Return of Kidnapped Teens

Israel holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for the safety of three teenagers who were kidnapped in the West Bank by a "terror organization", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday.

"Our young people have been kidnapped by a terror organization... there is no doubt about that," Netanyahu told reporters in Tel Aviv as a massive manhunt for the three youngsters entered its third night.

"They were kidnapped, and they were kidnapped by a terror organization," he said, placing responsibility for their safe return on the shoulders of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority.

The Israeli leader demanded that "the Palestinian Authority, headed by Abu Mazen (Abbas) -- from whose territory the kidnappers came -- do whatever necessary to help the hostages get home safely. That is the Palestinian Authority's responsibility."

The three youths, one of whom holds joint U.S. nationality, were identified earlier on Saturday as two 16-year-olds called Gilad Shaer and Naftali Frenkel, and 19-year-old Eyal Ifrach.

Earlier, a spokesman for the Palestinian security services rejected Israeli claims they were responsible for not preventing the kidnapping by pointing out it had taken place in a settlement bloc in area C, which is under full Israeli civilian and security control.

But Netanyahu dismissed the claim outright.

"The claim that the Palestinian Authority is not responsible because the incident took place in an area under Israel's responsibility is completely unfounded," he said.

"The authority which controls the area from which those terrorists came is responsible. That is exactly the situation in this case. The terrorists came from the Palestinian Authority's area, and the Palestinian Authority is responsible for this.

"We see Abu Mazen and the Palestinian Authority as responsible for every attack on Israel emanating from their territory, whether it is from Judaea and Samaria, or from the Gaza Strip."