Two more Palestinians killed in search for missing Israeli teens

Israeli spokesman Ofir Gendelman said his government has "conclusive evidence that Hamas was behind the kidnapping" of the three Israeli teenagers.

He added that Palestinian deaths during the search for the youths were the result of "necessary self-defence".

Two Palestinians died overnight during Israel's hunt for three Israeli teenagers thought kidnapped in the West Bank.

Israeli troops have heightened a crackdown on the Islamist group Hamas, which it blames for the disappearance of the Israeli boys.

Israeli soldiers carrying out raids in the city of Nablus fired at stone-throwing Palestinians, killing Ahmad Famawi, 26, residents and medics said.

A Palestinian hospital official said another man was killed by live fire in the city of Ramallah.

Israel has said its West Bank operation is twofold - to find Gil-Ad Shaer and US-Israeli national Naftali Fraenkel, both aged 16, and Eyal Yifrah, 19, who went missing near an Israeli settlement on June 13, and to deal a substantial blow to Hamas.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has prepared the country for a long wait in the search for three teenagers who disappeared last week.

Israel believes they were kidnapped by Hamas militants - and have arrested more than 100 of them - but without uncovering any clues.

Our Middle East Correspondent Geraint Vincent reports.

More: Clashes in Hebron as Israel vows to find missing teens

Clashes erupted in the city of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, between Palestinians throwing stones and Israeli soldiers firing tear gas, as the hunt for the three teenagers who went missing on Thursday continued.

The teenagers disappeared after leaving a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank. Israel says Hamas kidnapped the three students.

Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz, chief of Israel's armed forces, said the military was preparing to expand its operation.

He said: "We have a goal, and that is to find these three boys and bring them home, and to hit Hamas as hard as possible - and that is what we are going to do.

"We are on our way toward a significant campaign. We will get our plans in order."

More: Israel says militants 'will not feel safe' until missing teens are home

Meanwhile the funeral of a 20-year-old man who medics say was killed by Israeli gunfire in the al-Jalazoun refugee camp in Ramallah, was attended by hundreds of people.

Currently 150 people have been rounded up by the army in the hunt for the teens.

A 20-year-old man was killed by Israeli gunfire in the al-Jalazoun refugee camp in Ramallah, as the army forces continued to sweep through Palestinian towns and arrested more people in their search for three missing teenagers, medics said.

Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli troops and army gunfire killed a 20-year-old Palestinian and wounded another, hospital officials said.

Read: Soldiers rifle through Hebron homes in search for teens

Israeli forces have now arrested 150 people in their search for the teenagers, who have not been seen since Thursday. The Israeli government have accused Hamas of kidnapping the young people, an allegation the group has neither confirmed nor denied.

Israeli soldiers have been searching homes around the Palestinian city of Hebron as the search for the three teens missing since Thursday continues.

The Israeli government says the three were captured by Hamas militants and have been launching rocket attacks, detaining scores of people, and searching homes across the occupied West Bank in their attempt to find them.

More: Netanyahu telephones Abbas over missing teens

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to help him in efforts to locate the three Israeli teenagers believed to be abducted in the occupied West Bank.

Read: Teens missing in West Bank 'kidnapped by terrorists'

A statement issued by the prime minister's office quoted Netanyahu:

"I expect you to help in the return of the kidnapped youngsters and in catching the abductors."

The telephone call is the fist reported conversation between the two leaders since Abbas first signed a deal with Hamas in April and Netanyahu broke off the US brokered peace talks.

More: Lack of commitment could force US out of peace talks

William Hague has urged the release of three abducted teenagers believed to have been kidnapped by Palestinian militants in the West Bank.

"I strongly condemn the abduction of three Israeli youths in the West Bank," Mr Hague said.

"My thoughts are with their families and I hope for their safe return home soon. I appeal to those who are able to bring about their release to take urgent action to do so."

More: Teenagers missing in West Bank 'kidnapped by terrorists'

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the teenagers' disappearance on Hamas, saying he held the Palestinian Authority responsible for the disappearance.

Palestinians reject his claim and insist the trio went missing on Thursday in an area under Israeli control.

Israeli troops looking for three teenagers believed to have been kidnapped by Palestinian militants have surrounded a house in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Reuters reports witnesses saying they heard gunfire at the house, although an Israeli army spokeswoman declined to comment on the incident.

Read: Teenagers missing in West Bank 'kidnapped by terrorists'

Israel has vowed to step up pressure on Hamas, who it has blamed for the disappearance of three Israeli teenagers.

Read: Israel arrests 80 Palestinians in hunt for kidnapped teens

Army spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner said militants "will not feel safe" until the teenagers, including a 16-year-old American, return home.

The two 16-year-olds and a third, 19-year-old man disappeared on Thursday night after their left a Jewish settlement bloc where they were students.

Since then the army has carried out house-to-house searches, round-ups and interrogations in the nearby Palestinian city of Hebron and outlying villages.