Israeli police fired tear gas and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians Friday, as thousands mourned a 16-year-old boy believed killed in revenge for the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers.
The clashes erupted after Friday prayers as residents buried Mohammed Abu Khudair. Palestinians say his death was in response for the murder last month of the Jewish teenagers, which in turn has been blamed on the militant group Hamas.
The apparent tit-for-tat killings have stoked anger throughout the region, threatening to unleash a new cycle of violence and recrimination from both sides.
Khudair’s body was discovered Wednesday in a Jerusalem forest about an hour after he was forced into a car. Israeli police are investigating whether it was indeed a revenge killing, possibly by Jewish militants.
The discovery of Khudair’s body prompted days of unrest in East Jerusalem and elsewhere. His funeral Friday, in the Arab neighborhood of Shuafat, coincided with the first Friday prayer services of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
