Two weeks after three Israeli teenagers were apparently kidnapped en route home from religious school in the West Bank, a harsh Israeli crackdown in the territory continues.
Four Palestinians, including a teenager, are dead, and more than 300 have been arrested as Israeli troops sweep through the West Bank looking for the kidnap victims.
The Hamas party, which recently formed a united Palestinian government with rival Fatah, has called for a Third Intifada, or uprising, like those of 1987 and 2000.
A political scientist at the Islamic University of Gaza, Hani al-Bassous, has told Iranian-based Press TV the Palestinians have no other choice.
"It's not only Hamas. I think most Palestinian political factions in Palestine are calling for such an intifada to stop the Israeli illegal activities and to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people."
In Israel, the Haaretz newspaper has described scenes in the West Bank, reminiscent of those earlier uprisings apart from one key difference.
"The scene on the street calls to mind images of the first intifada - young people throwing stones and bottles at soldiers. But this time, a key variable is in the picture: the Palestinian Authority's security forces. After a wave of arrests in Hebron, Palestinian forces prevented marches organised by Hamas."
Palestinian unity
Hamas, in control of Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority, in control of the West Bank, swore in a unity government at the start of the month.
Israel was incensed. Hamas has historically refused to accept coexistence with the Jewish state.
Then on June 12, sometime after 10pm, Israeli authorities presume the three Israeli teens, two 16 year olds and a 19 year old were lured or forced into a car.
At 10:25pm, one of the them reportedly dialled a police emergency number and whispered, "We've been kidnapped."
Originally dismissed as a prank, it eventually became clear Israel had a problem.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was quick to blame Hamas and to tie in the new unification deal with the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas.
"Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel and to carrying out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, including children," said Prime Minister Netanyahu.
"Instead of abiding by his international obligation to disarm Hamas, President Abbas has chosen to make Hamas his partner. Israel holds the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas responsible for any attacks against Israel that emanate from Palestinian-controlled territory."
Israeli troops flooded into the area around Hebron, where the kidnap victims were believed to have been taken.
Mass arrests and fatal shootings have followed.
Grief on both sides
On the ground, the tension and human grief are thick. Racheli Frankel, mother of one of the Israeli teenagers, thanked supporters and trying to stay hopeful.
"We trust that Eyal and Gil-Ad and Naftali, boys coming home on their way from school - they were just on their way home - will be with us here and we'll hug them soon. And, really, thank you all, and, God willing, we'll all be able to celebrate their return safely."
A Palestinian man, a 15-year-old in the West Bank village of Dura being shot dead, has also expressed his concern.
"At dawn, the army began to withdraw. They walked through people's homes - there were more than 50 heavily armed soldiers. Mohammed was standing there. He was posing no danger to them or their lives. They shot him with three bullets. He was shot in the chest, and he died on the spot."
Political tension
Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, has denied the claims that Hamas was responsible for the kidnappings.
"Netanyahu's statements are stupid, and they are meant as part of a secret-service war. Israel is fully responsible for the escalation in the West Bank against our people and against the Palestinian leadership, including the large-scale detentions and arrests of Hamas members and Hamas parliamentarians in the occupied West Bank."
There have been demands for Mr Netanyahu to prove Hamas' involvement and criticism of his dismissal of Mahmoud Abbas' public demand that the captives be released.
Now, that demand by Mr Abbas has come under heavy attack from Palestinian officials, adding instability to the Palestinian side.
At the Islamic University of Gaza, Professor Hani al-Bassous insists that the division of Palestinian society, keeping the political forces divided, is the real aim of the arrests.
"They are using the pretext now that Israeli settlers have been kidnapped in the West Bank to jeopardise any Palestinian efforts towards unity. They want to stop the unity. They want to divide the Palestinian society."
