Israel Holds Murdered Teenagers' Funerals

Israel is holding the funerals of three teenagers who were abducted and murdered while hitch-hiking in the occupied West Bank.

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.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Hamas will be made to pay a price for the killings.

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.

Mr Netanyahu, who is attending the joint burial for Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach, earlier said the teenagers had been "kidnapped and murdered in cold blood by human animals".

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.

Naftali Frenkel's parents attend their son's memorial service before his funeral in the village of Nof Ayalon.

Source: BBC News