Israeli police arrest Jewish suspects for murder of Palestinian teen

Israeli authorities arrested several Jewish suspects over the gruesome murder of a Palestinian teenager last week in east Jerusalem, the police and the Israeli Shin Bet Security Agency said.

Israeli authorities believe that the suspects killed Mohammad Abu Khedir, 15, from Shuafat in east Jerusalem last week for nationalistic reasons and as response to the abduction and killing of three Israeli teens whose bodies were found several days before the murder.

According to the Shin Bet, the suspects are currently being questioned at the agency's facility.

Several Israeli media outlets reported that six Jewish extremists were arrested. The suspects are associated with an infamous group of fans of the Beitar Jerusalem Football Club known as "la familia," notorious for their racism against Arab Muslims and for their extremist views.

Abu Khedir was murdered and his body was found in a forest on July 2. The crime was committed amid a wave of Jewish right-wing extremists advocating for violence against Arabs, following the discovery of the bodies of the three Israeli teens last Monday, believed to have been killed by Palestinian militants.

According to the autopsy report issued over the weekend, traces of smoke was found in Abu Khedir's lungs, suggesting he was burnt alive by his perpetrators, with more than 90 percent of his body covered by burns.

Massive clashes between hundreds of Palestinians and Israeli security forces ensued in east Jerusalem and in Israel's north following the teen's murder. At least 22 Arab-Israelis were arrested following the clashes as of Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to the arrest that Israel "does not differentiate between Palestinian terrorism and Jewish terrorism," according to a statement from his office.

Public Affairs Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich, who is in charge of the Israeli police, called the murder a "shocking and unacceptable act that any sane person must strongly condemn." The victim's mother Suha told the Ha'aretz daily that she welcomed the news of the arrest but had little faith of the Israeli justice system. "I don't have any peace in my heart. Even if they captured who they say killed my son, they're only going to ask them questions and release them. What's the point?"