Hundreds of people held a mass prayer service at the Kotel (Western Wall) on Saturday night, for the safe return of the three yeshiva students who were kidnapped by terrorists.

Attendees included Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, the Chief Rabbi of Tzfat Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Housing Minister Uri Ariel, Deputy Religious Services Minister Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan and MK Yoni Chetboun, among others.

A separate prayer service was held at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hevron; the kidnapped students are believed held in the Arab-occupied part of the holy city.

Earlier Saturday night, residents of the central Israeli city of Elad held a mass public prayer for the safety of the three yeshiva students.

Elad is the hometown of 19-year-old Eyal Yifrah, who was kidnapped by terrorists as he hitchhiked home, together with Naftali Frenkel and Gilad Sha'ar, both 16, from the towns of Nof Ayalon and Talmon respectively.

The Israeli Chief Rabbis have urged Jews throughout the world to pray for the safety of the boys, whose Hebrew names are Ya'akov Naftali ben Rachel Devorah, Eyal ben Iris T'shura, and Gil'ad Micha'el ben Bat-Galim.

Meanwhile, the search for the missing boys continues. Elite forces, including paratroopers, landed in Hevron over the weekend to conduct the intensive search. Security forces are preparing for a prolonged search, with one official telling Arutz Sheva they were preparing for "long days and night ahead" in the search for the boys.