Middle East: Complex Web Of Friends And Foes

Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel at dawn. The opening of a new front for Israel already engaged in an escalating air campaign in the Gaza Strip? No.

Neither the Israelis nor Hezbollah, which has an arsenal of 100,000 rockets and controls southern Lebanon, are that stupid.

The missile attack on Israel's north was an attempt by Sunni militants to spark a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel that both know would be a zero sum.

Why would Sunnis, in all probability descendants of Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, want to do that?

It's Hezbollah, a Shia movement, after all, that has been a major conduit of experts, funding and modern rockets to Hamas, a Sunni organisation, in Gaza. Hamas and Hezbollah are allies.

Hamas has condemned the Hezbollah-backed regime of Bashar al Assad

But only when it comes to fighting Israel.

In Syria, Hamas has condemned the Assad regime, which like Hezbollah is backed by Iran.

Sunnis of Palestinian descent are among volunteers who have joined rebel groups fighting Damascus, while Hezbollah has sent thousands of its best fighters to the frontlines to defend the regime of Bashar al Assad.

There is a logic at work here.

If Sunni groups in south Lebanon can sucker the Israelis into a war with Hezbollah they could enjoy the double whammy of reduced pressure on Gaza, and the use of Israel's devastating air power against Hezbollah, the Sunni's enemies in Syria.

No better example of an attempt to kill two birds with one stone.

It won't happen because both Hezbollah and Israel, foes who have the greatest respect for one another, saw through the plot some time back. It's not the first time it has been tried.

But it does signal just how the Middle East's tectonic plates of conflict have shifted and can overlap.

The explosion of sectarian Muslim war between Sunni and Shia in Syria, which has spread into Iraq and has destabilised Lebanon, has become the defining clash in a new age of chaos.

Rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran use proxies to vie for influence and control.

The Saudis have become increasingly nervous of the spread of a Shia crescent from Tehran through Baghdad to Damascus and south Lebanon.

But Tehran has also used enemy forces to bolster the positions of its allies.

According to intelligence sources Muhsin al Fadhli, once a senior al Qaeda figure based in Iraq has taken up an operational roles inside Syria - at the instigation of the Iranian government.

Why would Tehran release someone to fight a key client an ally in Damascus?

Because radical groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have fought harder against fellow rebel groups than they have against the Assad regime.

Tehran has split the rebels.

But now ISIS threatens Iran's client government in Baghdad showing that an enemy's enemy may be a friend from time to time, but will remain an enemy.

This may be complicated but there is no excuse for stupidity in the Middle East. Failure to comprehend this can be fatal.

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Israeli Airstrikes: Five Palestinians Killed

A Complex Web Of Friends And Enemies

Updated: 5:06pm UK, Friday 11 July 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel at dawn. The opening of a new front for Israel already engaged in an escalating air campaign in the Gaza Strip? No.

Neither the Israelis nor Hezbollah, which has an arsenal of 100,000 rockets and controls southern Lebanon, are that stupid.

The missile attack on Israel's north was an attempt by Sunni militants to spark a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel that both know would be a zero sum.

Why would Sunnis, in all probability descendants of Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, want to do that?

It's Hezbollah, a Shia movement, after all, that has been a major conduit of experts, funding and modern rockets to Hamas, a Sunni organisation, in Gaza. Hamas and Hezbollah are allies.

But only when it comes to fighting Israel.

In Syria, Hamas has condemned the Assad regime, which like Hezbollah is backed by Iran.

Sunnis of Palestinian descent are among volunteers who have joined rebel groups fighting Damascus, while Hezbollah has sent thousands of its best fighters to the frontlines to defend the regime of Bashar al Assad.

There is a logic at work here.

If Sunni groups in south Lebanon can sucker the Israelis into a war with Hezbollah they could enjoy the double whammy of reduced pressure on Gaza, and the use of Israel's devastating air power against Hezbollah, the Sunni's enemies in Syria.

No better example of an attempt to kill two birds with one stone.

It won't happen because both Hezbollah and Israel, foes who have the greatest respect for one another, saw through the plot some time back. It's not the first time it has been tried.

But it does signal just how the Middle East's tectonic plates of conflict have shifted and can overlap.

The explosion of sectarian Muslim war between Sunni and Shia in Syria, which has spread into Iraq and has destabilised Lebanon, has become the defining clash in a new age of chaos.

Rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran use proxies to vie for influence and control.

The Saudis have become increasingly nervous of the spread of a Shia crescent from Tehran through Baghdad to Damascus and south Lebanon.

But Tehran has also used enemy forces to bolster the positions of its allies.

According to intelligence sources Muhsin al Fadhli, once a senior al Qaeda figure based in Iraq has taken up an operational roles inside Syria - at the instigation of the Iranian government.

Why would Tehran release someone to fight a key client an ally in Damascus?

Because radical groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have fought harder against fellow rebel groups than they have against the Assad regime.

Tehran has split the rebels.

But now ISIS threatens Iran's client government in Baghdad showing that an enemy's enemy may be a friend from time to time, but will remain an enemy.

This may be complicated but there is no excuse for stupidity in the Middle East. Failure to comprehend this can be fatal.

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Aunt Of Young Gaza Victim: 'Enough Is Enough'

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, Gaza City

Shayma was walking with her family in the Bait Hanoun neighbourhood of northern Gaza on Wednesday when an airstrike hit a house near them.

She ran.

Then another strike hit.

She cannot tell this story for herself. She is four-years-old, and is still unconscious after shrapnel from the second blast tore into her stomach.

She does not yet know that her mother, father and sister were killed in that moment.

Instead her aunt, now her closest living family member and carer, tells this story for her.

Sameh Fayeg Al Masri sits next to her bed in the Al Shiffa hospital in Gaza City, stroking the child's forehead.

She watches her chest raise and fall fitfully - the only sign this otherwise pale, still, shredded body is alive.

Doctors believe she has a chance to recover, but she has a long way to go.

For now Shayma will lie in the children's ward.

Her aunt Sameh, holding back tears with an emotional strength that is as common in Gaza as emotional trauma, tells me enough is enough.

"We have to stop shooting rockets, and they have to stop shooting at us," she said.

"Only innocent children are paying the price. What did this child do to deserve this?"

For some in Gaza such words would be seen as surrender.

But for Sameh, staring at the child lying in front of her, it is the only answer.

"Only God knows if she is going to live or die," she said.

"Pieces of bomb are still inside her. These things should stop. From both sides. It is forbidden to do this."

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Rockets From Lebanon Fired At Israel

Lebanon's national news agency says two rockets have been sent form southern Lebanon towards Israel.

The news agency said the missiles were launched from the Hasbaya area towards "occupied territories" at 6.30am local time.

It is not clear who was responsible.

More follows...

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Israel Airstrike On Gaza 'Kills Five Children'

An Israeli airstrike into Gaza has killed seven civilians, including 5 children, according to Palestinian authorities who say it was the deadliest single bombing so far.

Residents claim two houses were hit in the attack in a densely populated area near Khan Younis.

According to Palestinian officials another 16 people were injured in the attack.

It comes as Prime Minister David Cameron voiced his support for Israel and its response to what he calls "appalling" rocket strikes from Hamas militants.

Locals search through rubble after the attack

The Israeli army has stepped up its offensive on the Gaza Strip in an effort to hit Hamas targets, as militants continue to fire rockets at Israeli cities.

Mr Cameron phoned Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to offer his support.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "(He) spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu earlier this evening about the situation in Israel.

"The Prime Minister strongly condemned the appalling attacks being carried out by Hamas against Israeli civilians.

"The Prime Minister reiterated the UK's staunch support for Israel in the face of such attacks, and underlined Israel's right to defend itself from them."

In response to the escalating conflict, the United Nations Security Council is set to convene in New York on Thursday.

"Gaza is on a knife-edge," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

"The deteriorating situation is leading to a downward spiral which could quickly get out of control. The risk of violence expanding further still is real."

The exchange of fire marks the heaviest fighting between Israel and Hamas since an eight-day battle in November 2012.

More than 3 million Israeli citizens are under threat of rocket attack

The IDF launched the major air campaign above Gaza on Tuesday, targeting the homes of suspected militants and concealed rocket launch locations.

More than 400 airstrikes have taken place, with 50 people killed in Gaza.

Israel said it had hit more than 300 targets and Hamas positions throughout Gaza.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) said "at least 82 rockets hit Israel" on Wednesday, and 21 were intercepted.

Hamas said it fired three rockets on Wednesday at Dimona, targeting what Israel claimed was its highly secure nuclear reactor site.

Israel has launched repeated airstrikes to thwart militants in Gaza

There have been no Israeli deaths, but the barrages have paralysed business in southern communities.

Mr Netanyahu has warned Hamas that it will pay a "heavy price" for the rocket attacks, many of which have targeted populated areas of Israel.

The Israeli cabinet has said it may also send in ground troops and has authorised the call-up of as many as 40,000 reservists.

Israel has started to amass troops around the Gaza Strip

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of committing atrocities in Gaza.

Mr Abbas said: "It's genocide - the killing of entire families is genocide by Israel against our Palestinian people."

The US State Department said it has called for all sides to deescalate, but reiterated Israel's right of self-defence.

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Four Children Shot Dead By Lone Texas Gunman

Six people, including four children, were shot dead at a house in Texas before a three hour stand-off with police.

The victims were killed at a house in Spring, Houston, before armed officers chased and cornered a silver car containing the suspect.

Police attended the house in Spring to find seven people had been shot

In bizarre scenes, the silver car was eventually barged by a large police truck, which appeared to pin it to the ground, while marksmen gathered nearby.

A second armoured vehicle arrived shortly afterwards to corner the suspect, who stayed in the vehicle for around three hours.

Police stopped the car about three miles from the scene of the shooting

Despite being surrounded by marksmen, and having his car virtually crushed by the armoured truck, the suspect remained "cool as a cucumber", police said.

After lengthy negotiations he emerged from the vehicle with his hands raised, sinking to his knees before being arrested and detained.

The car was eventually cornered by an armoured truck

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said officers attended a property in Spring at around 6pm and found two adults and three children dead.

Another child later died at a hospital. A 15-year-old girl was wounded but survived the attack, police say.

Talks continued into the night and the suspect eventually surrendered

"It appears this stems from a domestic issue with a breakup in the family from what our witness has told us," Assistant Chief Deputy Constable Mark Herman said.

Authorities did not release the victims' identities and did not say how they might be related to each other or the suspect.

Sergeant Thomas Gilliland described the man as in his 30s with a beard "and cool as a cucumber."

He said that when he and other officers approached, the man was "just sitting in his car looking out at us".

Danna Stevens, 75, and her husband, Texas Stevens, live four doors down from the home where the shooting happened.

Danna Stevens said she did not know her neighbours well and that they had moved into the subdivision about a year ago.

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Brazil Coach: 'It's The Worst Day Of My Life'

Luiz Felipe Scolari said watching his side being crushed 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup semi-final was the worst day of his life.

The Brazil team huddle after their humiliating defeat

And Brazil president Dilma Rousseff said she was sad and sorry.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, whose side play Holland in the other semi-final on Wednesday, said the result was "not normal" but showed "why (football) is beautiful".

Here is more of what they and others had to say about the "extraordinary" and "bewildering" game in Belo Horizonte:

Scolari: 'We tried our best'

BRAZIL COACH LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI

"If I were to think of my life as a footballer, as a coach, as a physical education teacher, I think it was the worst day of my life.

"I'm going to be remembered probably because I lost 7-1, the worst defeat in Brazil's history, but that was a risk I knew I was running when I walked into this position.

"My message for the Brazilian people and fans is that we tried to do what we could, we lost to a great team who had the skill to end the game in just six or seven minutes with four goals."

Luiz takes a tumble during the game

BRAZIL STAND-IN CAPTAIN DAVID LUIZ

"I just wanted to make my people happy. Unfortunately, we couldn't. I'm sorry, I'm sorry to all Brazilians, I just wanted to see them smile, everyone knows how important it was."

Cesar walking off the pitch

BRAZIL GOALKEEPER JULIO CESAR

"It's very hard to explain the unexplainable."

Rousseff: 'We won't stay down'

BRAZIL PRESIDENT DILMA ROUSSEFF

"Like every Brazilian, I am very, very sad about this defeat. I am immensely sorry for all of us. But we won't let ourselves stay down. Brazil, get up, dust yourself off and move forward."

A shocked Brazil fan

BRAZIL FAN RIBEIRO FRANCA AFTER GERMANY'S FIFTH GOAL

"Five-nil is so embarassing, we're not going to stay any longer. One-nil is fine, one-one, two-one, two-two, but five-nil is shameful for a country that has a tradition of football. Bye. Bye."

Loew: 'It was easy'

GERMAN COACH JOACHIM LOEW

"They were shocked and didn't expect to fall behind. And after that it was an easy match for us. I feel sorry for him (Scolari). I think I know how he feels."

Sabella: 'Foootball is like that'

ARGENTINA COACH ALEJANDRO SABELLA

"Seven-one is not a normal result between two world footballing powers. (But) football can be like that. Sometimes things happen that you don't expect, and that is why it is beautiful."

Brazil players after conceding a goal

FORMER BRAZIL MIDFIELDER JUNINHO PAULISTA

"It will be difficult to recover. Some players I don't think will be back to wear the Brazilian shirt. It is wrong now to criticise the players. On the field, Germany taught us how to play football."

Lineker: 'Just staggering'

FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER GARY LINEKER

"In nigh on half a century of watching football, that's the most extraordinary, staggering, bewildering game I've ever witnessed."

German fans watching the game on TV

FORMER GERMANY MIDFIELDER DIETMAR HAMANN

"Master class from Germany. Clinical, organised, hard-working, unselfish and humble. Very proud of the team. One to go."

Ferdinand: 'I fear for players'

FORMER ENGLAND DEFENDER RIO FERDINAND                           

"I would worry that the Brazilian players might never recover from this. Some might not be able to come back."

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World Cup: Brazil Suffer Humiliating 7-1 Exit

Brazil Coach: 'The Worst Day Of My Life'

Updated: 3:21am UK, Wednesday 09 July 2014

Luiz Felipe Scolari said watching his side being crushed 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup semi-final was the worst day of his life.

And Brazil president Dilma Rousseff said she was sad and sorry.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, whose side play Holland in the other semi-final on Wednesday, said the result was "not normal" but showed "why (football) is beautiful".

Here is more of what they and others had to say about the "extraordinary" and "bewildering" game in Belo Horizonte:

BRAZIL COACH LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI

"If I were to think of my life as a footballer, as a coach, as a physical education teacher, I think it was the worst day of my life.

"I'm going to be remembered probably because I lost 7-1, the worst defeat in Brazil's history, but that was a risk I knew I was running when I walked into this position.

"My message for the Brazilian people and fans is that we tried to do what we could, we lost to a great team who had the skill to end the game in just six or seven minutes with four goals."

BRAZIL STAND-IN CAPTAIN DAVID LUIZ

"I just wanted to make my people happy. Unfortunately, we couldn't. I'm sorry, I'm sorry to all Brazilians, I just wanted to see them smile, everyone knows how important it was."

BRAZIL GOALKEEPER JULIO CESAR

"It's very hard to explain the unexplainable."

BRAZIL PRESIDENT DILMA ROUSSEFF

"Like every Brazilian, I am very, very sad about this defeat. I am immensely sorry for all of us. But we won't let ourselves stay down. Brazil, get up, dust yourself off and move forward."

BRAZIL FAN RIBEIRO FRANCA AFTER GERMANY'S FIFTH GOAL

"Five-nil is so embarassing, we're not going to stay any longer. One-nil is fine, one-one, two-one, two-two, but five-nil is shameful for a country that has a tradition of football. Bye. Bye."

GERMAN COACH JOACHIM LOEW

"They were shocked and didn't expect to fall behind. And after that it was an easy match for us. I feel sorry for him (Scolari). I think I know how he feels."

ARGENTINA COACH ALEJANDRO SABELLA

"Seven-one is not a normal result between two world footballing powers. (But) football can be like that. Sometimes things happen that you don't expect, and that is why it is beautiful."

FORMER BRAZIL MIDFIELDER JUNINHO PAULISTA

"It will be difficult to recover. Some players I don't think will be back to wear the Brazilian shirt. It is wrong now to criticise the players. On the field, Germany taught us how to play football."

FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER GARY LINEKER

"In nigh on half a century of watching football, that's the most extraordinary, staggering, bewildering game I've ever witnessed."

FORMER GERMANY MIDFIELDER DIETMAR HAMANN

"Master class from Germany. Clinical, organised, hard-working, unselfish and humble. Very proud of the team. One to go."

FORMER ENGLAND DEFENDER RIO FERDINAND                           

"I would worry that the Brazilian players might never recover from this. Some might not be able to come back."

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Israelis 'Confess To Killing Palestinian Teen'

Three Israelis have reportedly admitted killing Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khadair, who was abducted following the deaths of three Israeli youths.

A source close to the investigation told news agency AFP that three of the six suspects arrested on Sunday had confessed to the murder.

Their confession has not been independently verified.

The 16-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem was found dead in the Jerusalem Forest last week.

A preliminary post-mortem examination found he had been burned alive.

Earlier today Israeli Prime Minister Benjanim Netanyahu telephoned Mohammed's father to express his outrage at the killing.

A video captures the moment Tariq was reportedly beaten by Israeli police

"We denounce all brutal behaviour. The murder of your son is abhorrent and cannot be countenanced by any human being," Mr Netanyahu told Hussein Abu Khadair.

The teenager's death has prompted days of violent protests which have spread from East Jerusalem to Arab Israeli towns.

Police said 110 people were arrested overnight for disturbing public order.

Their arrests follow the detention of Mohammed's cousin Tariq Abu Khadair who was filmed apparently being severely beaten by Israeli police.

Murdered Israeli teens Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach

Tariq, an American of Palestinian descent, has now been released from custody.

Police claim he resisted arrest, attacked officers and was carrying a slingshot when he was detained during the clashes.

It is suspected that Mohammed was killed in retaliation for the deaths of three of the Israeli teenagers, whose bodies were found in the West Bank last week.

An unidentified suspect is being held in connection with the killings. 

Israel has made clear it holds the Islamist militant group Hamas responsible, although Hamas has denied any involvement.

Israel says the airstrikes are in retaliation for rocket attacks from Gaza

The deaths of the four teenagers has resulted in a spike in tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

Both Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, have stepped up aerial assaults against one another in recent weeks.

Hamas claims seven of its members were killed overnight in the deadliest Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in recent weeks.

It says the strikes hit a tunnel used by its men in the early hours of the morning.

Monday's attacks were the deadliest to hit Gaza in recent weeks

The militant group said it would seek revenge, warning: "The enemy will pay a tremendous price" over the latest killings.

Two militants from a different group were reportedly killed in a separate strike.

The Israeli military said it targeted at least "14 terror sites" including "concealed rocket launchers" in retaliation for rocket attacks from Gaza which a military spokesman described as "unbearable and unacceptable."

Around a dozen rockets were reportedly fired overnight, injuring one Israeli soldier.

Another 25 rockets hit Israel on Sunday.

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Hamas Rockets Bombard Israel After Airstrikes

Israel has been attacked by nearly 100 rockets, including 40 in an hour, from Gaza, according to the Israeli army.

Israel has responded with dozens of airstrikes and is continuing to deploy more military resources to the Gaza border. 

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said close to 100 rockets had been fired at Israel on Monday alone. There are so far no reports of casualties.

Twelve of the rockets were intercepted by rocket defence batteries, the Israeli army said.

Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for the rocket fire.

The bombardment came a few hours after Israel launched 16 airstrikes on targets in Gaza, and followed a night where planes attacked 14 targets, killing at least three people.

Another six died after a tunnel collapsed near the city of Rafah, with Hamas blaming it on an Israeli airstrike - a claim Israel denies.

Israeli army spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner said two infantry forces were moving to the Gaza border and up to 1,500 reservists were to be mobilised.

Tensions in the region have been inflamed following the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers and the suspected revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager.

Three of the six people arrested over the latter case have reportedly confessed but charges are yet to be brought.

The victim, 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khadair, was burned alive, according to a preliminary post-mortem examination. He was found in the Jerusalem Forest last week.

Israeli television has shown dozens of tanks massing near the Gaza border

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned the boy's father to promise that those responsible for the "despicable" murder would be prosecuted, Israeli officials said.

Mohammed's killing followed the murder of Israeli teenagers Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach.

The three young men were found in shallow graves on June 30, nearly three weeks after they disappeared while hitchhiking home.

Prime minister Netanyahu has blamed Hamas for the murders and warned they "will pay". Hamas has said it was not behind the deaths.

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Pistorius Lawyers Slam Reeva Killing Video

Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius have slammed the broadcast of a video showing the athlete re-enacting the night he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The material - aired by Australian TV network Channel Seven - had been filmed to help the Paralympian's defence team build their case.

It shows Pistorius, wearing a vest and shorts, running without his prosthetic legs with his fist clenched as if holding a gun.

The video also shows him carrying a woman. It is unclear where the re-enactment was filmed.

His lawyers criticised the "illegal" broadcast as his murder trial was to resume later today, with the court hearing evidence from the last defence witnesses.

The video was produced by an American company apparently hired by the athlete's lawyers, but has not been used during the trial.

His legal team have said they are taking action against Channel Seven, which showed the video on its current affairs programme Sunday Night.

Clips have also been shown in South African television news reports.

Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp had been dating for around three months

Pistorius' attorney Brian Webber told the South African Press Association: "They have no right to broadcast the video. We will deal with it accordingly."

Sky's Emma Hurd, in Pretoria, said Pistorius' lawyers are "furious".

She said the footage is potentially significant because it appears to show the athlete running on his stumps with a "fair amount of movement".

Hurd added: "The defence witnesses have argued that his movement on his stumps is extremely limited.

"They've used this to construct a picture of a man who was extremely vulnerable on the night of the shooting when he heard a noise he thought was an intruder because he couldn't run away.

"This video appears to suggest he had more movement than those defence witnesses said. Perhaps the prosecution may choose to bring it up in court."

Pistorius, who is on trial for premeditated murder, denies deliberately killing his girlfriend, claiming he mistook her for an intruder.

He faces between 25 years and life in prison if found guilty.

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US Teen In Israel Beating Video Row Released

A 15-year-old American boy who was filmed apparently being severely beaten by Israeli police has been released from custody.

Tariq Abu Khadair was attacked in East Jerusalem as Palestinians protested against the brutal killing of his 16-year-old cousin Mohammed Abu Khadair.

Six Israelis have been arrested in connection with the murder.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to bring those responsible to justice.

Tariq, an American of Palestinian descent who goes to school in Florida, spoke as he was released from custody and will be under house arrest for nine days.

The alleged attack was filmed on a mobile phone

Police claim he resisted arrest, attacked officers and was carrying a slingshot when he was detained during clashes with security forces.

When reporters asked the teenager who attacked him, he said: "I think it was the police."

He added: "I was standing and watching. I was watching the group of people and they came from the side of me and then grabbed me."

Mobile phone footage of the alleged assault was released by a human rights group that described it as state-sanctioned violence against children.

The US State Department said it was "profoundly troubled" by reports of Tariq's beating and demanded an investigation.

Israel's Justice Ministry said it was looking into the incident.

This image shows Tariq after he was detained

Mohammed was apparently burned alive and his death has sparked days of violent protests.

Palestinians believe he was killed by Israeli extremists in a revenge attack after three Israeli youths were abducted and found dead last month in the West Bank.

Meanwhile, Israel has launched a series of air strikes in Gaza, saying it was responding to Hamas rocket attacks.

Palestinian militants say seven of their fighters were killed.

At least 25 missiles have been fired across the border from Gaza over the past 24 hours.

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