JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister says three teenagers who disappeared in the West Bank are presumed to be alive and being held by Palestinian militants.

Security forces continue to search the West Bank for teens, one of whom is American. Troops have arrested more than a dozen Palestinians in connection to the case and are also examining footage from security cameras.

Israel’s government says Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is responsible for the fate of the teens, calling the teens’ disappearance “a direct result” of the recent formation of a Palestinian unity government that has the backing of the Islamic militant group Hamas.

Hamas has been involved in kidnappings of Israelis in the past along and frequently calls for the abduction of Israelis. It has not claimed Thursday’s suspected kidnappings, but there have been three separate claims of responsibility. It’s unclear if any are authentic.

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132-a-17-(Mark Regev (REH’-gehv), spokesman for Israeli prime minister, in AP interview)-“missing Israeli teens”-Mark Regev, the spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says the new Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas is responsible for the missing teens. ((note length)) (14 Jun 2014)

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133-r-10-(Sound of Wasel Abu Yussef (WAH’-sehl AH’-boo YOO’-sihf), executive committee member, Palestine Liberation Organization, speaking in Arabic, in AP interview)–Sound of Wasel Abu Yussef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, saying in Arabic that the incident of the missing teens heightens the need for Israel to stop what he calls “escalating violence against Palestinians.” (14 Jun 2014)

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APPHOTO DV106: Israeli soldiers patrol during a military operation to search for three missing Israeli teenagers near the West Bank city of Hebron, Saturday, June 14, 2014. Israeli security forces searched the West Bank for a second day Saturday, looking for three missing teenagers, including an American, who they fear have been abducted by Palestinian militants. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi) (14 Jun 2014)

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APPHOTO DV105: Israeli soldiers patrol during a military operation to search for three missing Israeli teenagers near the West Bank city of Hebron, Saturday, June 14, 2014. Israeli security forces searched the West Bank for a second day Saturday, looking for three missing teenagers, including an American, who they fear have been abducted by Palestinian militants. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi) (14 Jun 2014)

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