Minister: Probe into Arab youth’s death still under way, be patient

While boosting the police forces deployed to East Jerusalem, where riots are currently taking place, Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich gives a statement urging both Jews and Arabs to exercise restraint and patience as they await the results of an investigation into the death of 16-year-old East Jerusalem resident Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir.

Aharonovich says security forces have been investigating Abu Khdeir’s death since this morning, looking into suspicions that the teen may have been kidnapped before being killed.

“We know about a youth who was probably kidnapped, and are checking if that is related to the body that was found,” he says. “It is under investigation, testing, labs.”

The minister then appeals to “all of us, particularly to the residents,” presumably of the capital. He calls on them to “exercise restraint and patience” and allow the investigation to proceed “responsibly.”

Promising that police will do “everything in their power” to investigate the death, he calls on both communities to refrain from incitement and talk of vengeance.

“We are still looking into it,” he says. “There are many possibilities. There is the possibility of a criminal motive as well. Everything is being investigated responsibly.”