Palestinian teen burned alive, autopsy shows - CNN

• 16-year old Palestinian Mohammed Abu Khedair was burned alive, prosecutor says


• Spokesman for Israeli PM says Israel is aggressively investigating the killing


• Videos show Khedair's cousin, a U.S. citizen, being attacked in Jerusalem by men in uniform


• He was visiting his Palestinian relatives for the first time in over a decade

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Mohammed Abu Khedair, a Palestinian teenager who was abducted and killed in Jerusalem this week, died from being burned alive and hit with a blunt object to the head, according to Palestinian General Prosecutor Mohammed al-Auwewy, sourcing the medical autopsy.

Al-Auwewy said the autopsy discovered traces of smoke inside the lungs of the 16-year-old , meaning that it was inhaled during the burning.

Mark Regev, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said his country is aggressively investigating the killing. "We'll get to the bottom of it and catch those responsible," he told CNN on Saturday.

The teenager's death sparked widespread outrage among Palestinians and clashes with Israeli security forces broke out during his funeral on Friday.

More than 60 people were injured in fighting in parts of Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, a group that said it was involved in evacuating injured Palestinians. It said the injuries mostly involved rubber bullets fired at the upper body and chest.

Mourners of Eyal Yifrach, 19, attend his funeral outside his house in Elad, Israel, on Tuesday, July 1. The bodies of Yifrach and two other Israeli teenagers, Naftali Frankel and Gilad Shaar, were found a day earlier after they were abducted last month on their way home from school in the West Bank.

Avi and Rachel Frankel attend the funeral of their son, Naftali, in the West Bank settlement of Nof Ayalon on July 1. He was 16.

Friends of Naftali Frankel attend his funeral service.

Mourners gather around the body of Gilad Shaar, 16, during his funeral ceremony July 1 in Talmon, West Bank.

A young man grieves during Shaar's funeral.

People hold Israeli flags during Shaar's funeral procession in Hashmonaim, West Bank.

Israel mourns 3 dead teenagers

Israel mourns 3 dead teenagers

Israel mourns 3 dead teenagers

Israel mourns 3 dead teenagers

Israel mourns 3 dead teenagers

Israel mourns 3 dead teenagers

Israel mourns 3 dead teenagers

Palestinian teen's killing sparks outrage

Tensions high after Palestinian teen's death

Israeli teen's chilling emergency call

Israeli police said 13 of their officers were slightly injured in clashes in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat, where Palestinian protesters were throwing rocks at police, who responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas.

Clashes erupt after Palestinian teenager's funeral in Jerusalem

U.S. cousin of Khedair beaten in Jerusalem, relatives say

In a separate incident, two videographers recorded men in the uniform of Israeli security forces holding down and pummeling a teenager in Shuafat. Relatives say he is a U.S. citizen from Florida and a cousin of Abu Khedair.

The victim, Tariq Khdeir, 15, is a high school sophomore in Tampa, family members there said. He was visiting his Palestinian relatives in Jerusalem for the first time in over a decade when he was attacked and detained outside the home of his cousin, who was kidnapped and killed on Wednesday.

The two videos, which were posted independently, say the beating occurred on Thursday.

CNN's Ben Wedeman confirmed that the videos appeared to show an area near the home of the killed teen.

One neighbor shot a video of the beating and distributed it to family and a television station. Another video was shot from the other side of the street and posted to YouTube.

Khdeir's parents and other relatives watched it and told CNN that it's their teenage son. Relatives released pictures of the teenager with bruises and large swellings on his lips and nose.

The men delivered more than 20 blows to the youth over a period of two minutes. He did not appear to be struggling and police carried away his limp body afterward.

Both videos start after the incident began, and it's not clear why Khdeir was attacked.

Abducted, killed Palestinian teenager described as kind, beloved

Calls for U.S. to intervene

The U.S. State Department said it's aware of the reports of Khdeir's detention, but it cannot comment due to privacy considerations.

The teen was visiting Shuafat when the attack occurred, his aunt and uncle said. The relatives did not want to be named for fear of reprisals against the family in Shuafat.

An Israeli police spokesman confirmed security forces have been operating in Shuafat, but declined to provide additional details when asked about the beating videos and the American teen in custody.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations urged the United States to help free the teen.

"It is the duty of American officials to intervene and secure the release of an American citizen who was so viciously attacked," said Hassan Shibly, executive director of CAIR-Florida.

Opinion: Slain teens call for justice, not escalation

Netanyahu says of slain teens: 'May God avenge their blood'

Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1vJJ4uE