Palestinian teen burned alive in apparent revenge killing

Palestinian teen burned alive in apparent revenge killing
(Image credit: Ilia Yefimovich / Getty Images)

A Palestinian teenager who was abducted and murdered last week had ash in his lungs when he died, indicating he was set ablaze while still alive, according to an autopsy.

Sixteen-year-old Mohammed Abu Khedair was snatched before dawn on Wednesday in Jerusalem, and his killing inflamed already strained relations between Israel and Palestine. Though police have yet to identify the assailants or offer a motive, the attack was widely seen as retribution for the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens last month.

Israel killed five and rounded up some 400 more in the manhunt for the missing teens, and then beefed up security to curb an outpouring of anger from Palestinians who felt they were being collectively punished. That animosity boiled over on Friday when fighting broke out between Palestinians and Israeli police during Khedair's funeral, leaving more than 60 people injured.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.