Body of missing yeshivah student found

Media reports say the cause of death may have been dehydration and not the result of a terrorist or criminal attack as had been feared.

The 23-year-old from New Jersey was hiking in the Jerusalem Forest with a friend last Friday just before Shabbat when he went missing.

After the kidnap and murder of Israeli teenagers Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel in June, it had been thought that Hamas or another group would attempt a similar attack.

Rumours of terrorist involvement were prompted by the fact that Sofer's body was found just a few miles from where Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir was killed in July. Three Israelis have been arrested for what authorities say was a revenge attack.