“The president of Palestine, Mahmud Abbas, demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemn the kidnapping and murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khder as we condemned the kidnapping of the three Israelis,” a presidential statement said.

Israel police confirmed finding a body dumped in a forest in west Jerusalem but have not formally said it is that of a 16-year-old youth reported by his family to have been kidnapped before dawn.

The violence has triggered a wave of rioting in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Shuafat, with hundreds of masked Palestinians hurling stones at Israeli police in riot gear.

/AFP