Obama expresses condolences on deaths of Israeli teenagers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama expressed condolences on Monday over the killing of three Israeli teenagers whose bodies were found in the West Bank on Monday, and urged all parties to refrain from actions that could escalate tensions in the region. "The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms this senseless act of terror against innocent youth," the president said in a statement, adding he had offered U.S. help to Israel and the Palestinians to find those responsible for the deaths of the three seminary students. "I also urge all parties to refrain from steps that could further destabilize the situation," he said. (Reporting by Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Peter Cooney)