Egypt asks Israel for restraint in search for missing boys

Egypt Monday urged Israel to exercise self-restraint in its crackdown on Hamas in the search for the three missing Israeli teenagers allegedly kidnapped by the Islamic movement.

"Israel must show maximum self-restraint after reports of Israel's intention to expand its security operations in the West Bank in the coming days in response to the kidnapping of three Israeli citizens," Xinhua quoted the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Badr Abdel Aaty as saying Monday.

The call came after a 20-year-old Palestinian young man was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank city of Ramallah during confrontations, and more than 100 members of Hamas were arrested.

The spokesman also urged Israel to refrain from escalating the situation between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and prevent it from deteriorating in a way that would make it difficult to control later.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the kidnapping, and vowed to take any steps necessary to bring the three teenagers back.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas earlier Monday condemned the kidnapping of the Israeli teenagers for the first time, and asserted both sides should refrain from violence.