Responding to Murders of Israeli Teenagers by Hamas, Arab League Condemns 'Israeli Escalation'

Arab League says Israel responsible for 'everything that has happened and everything which will happen'; Hamas reiterates threats.

(INN) A Hamas spokesperson in Gaza threatened Israel on Tuesday, as the Islamist groups braces itself for a backlash in the face of Israel's calls for a harsh response to the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens on June 12 by Hamas terrorists.

The spokesperson, Sami Abu-Zuhri, threatened that "Israel must not test Hamas's patience," adding "the threats by Israeli sources to eliminate leaders of the (Hamas) movement don't threaten them or the Palestinian people," reports Yedioth Aharonoth.

Abu-Zuhri previously threatened that any escalated Israeli operation against the terror group would "open the gates of hell".

While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has not yet announced Israel's official response to the horrific murders, Netanyahu said Monday night shortly after the bodies of the three were found "Hamas is responsible. Hamas will pay."

There have been calls to eliminate Hamas, and to show a harsh response against the terrorists involved by using the death penalty. Israel already does technically have the death penalty, but the punishment has only been used once - against Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann.

The Arab League released its own statements against Israel on Tuesday as well, blaming the Jewish state for the "escalation" in Judea and Samaria, in which IDF forces searching for the three teens have come under attack by local Arab rioters.

Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League Mohammed Sabih said that "Israel is the cause of all this tension via its ongoing arrest operation in the territories and the dangerous attacks today on the Al Aqsa mosque.

"The government of Israel is directly responsible for everything that has happened and anything that will happen in the future."

His reference to the Al Aqsa Mosque was likely regarding continued visits to the site by Jewish pilgrims. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the holiest site in Judaism, but Arab states and Islamist groups firmly oppose any Jewish presence there, claiming it as an Islamic shrine and denying the Jewish connection to it. Arab and Muslim leaders regularly refer to Jewish visits as "attacks", despite their peaceful nature.