Palestinians return body of Israeli teen killed by car accident in occupied West Bank

The body of an Israeli teen who died following a car accident Tuesday in the occupied West Bank was returned by Palestinians to his family on Thursday night, according to the Israeli army.

Tiran Fero, 17, a member of the Arab Druze minority, had been taken to a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin following the accident.

His body was taken by Palestinian fighters from the hospital after the accident, according to his family. According to local sources, the fighters informed Palestinian Authority officials in Jenin that they would not release the body unless Israel releases withheld bodies of killed Palestinians, some of which have been withheld for several years.

"As a result of the efforts of the security forces and in coordination with the Palestinian authorities, the body of an Israeli man killed in a car accident in Jenin on Tuesday was transferred to his family in Israel," the Israeli army said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid had on Wednesday threatened strong reprisals against those who had taken the body.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz thanked the Palestinian Authority on Twitter for "this humanitarian gesture that comes after a miserable and inhumane act". 

Israel currently withholds the bodies of some 250 Palestinians killed since 1967, including 105 since 2015.