Israel searches for captured soldier, as Rafah death toll passes 50

Israel have named a soldier they say has been captured by Palestinian fighters in Gaza.

The army released a statement saying that 23-year-old second lieutenant Hadar Goldin is “suspected to have been abducted by terrorists” in Gaza on Friday morning.

Goldin is from a family of British Jewish immigrants and is a cousin of Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon, according to the UK’s Channel 4 News.

A military spokesperson said two Israeli soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber emerged from a tunnel with a number of Palestinian fighters at 930am (0630 GMT). After the attack it “became clear” to the army that a soldier had been captured.

“Everything that has happened since then in the Rafah area is on account of the attack,” said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner.

Gaza’s health ministry say at least 50 people have been killed and over 200 wounded in an Israeli bombardment of Rafah on Friday. The alleged capture of an Israeli soldier and attacks on Rafah came after a 72-hour US and UN brokered humanitarian ceasefire lasted less than three hours.

There are conflicting reports about the Hamas response to the Israeli officer being seized in Gaza.

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency (AA) reported earlier that senior Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouq had confirmed the incident.

“There is no justification for Israel to violate the truce as the officer was captured and the two soldiers were killed ahead of the truce,” Abu Marzouq told AA.

The Quds News Network, however, quote an unnamed Hamas leader as refusing to confirm or deny the alleged capture.

Reports on social media say that the Qassam Brigades spokesperson, Abu Obaida, will give a speech on Friday afternoon to clarify the situation.

The Israeli military are “currently conducting intelligence efforts and extensive searches in order to locate the missing soldier,” according to an army statement posted online. 

The US has responded to the reports by condemning Hamas as launching a "barbaric" attack to capture the soldier.

"This is an outrageous action and we look to the rest of the world to join us in condemning it," White House Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken told MSNBC television. 

"The Israelis of course are reporting this morning that that ceasefire was broken," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told CNN.

"And that apparently Hamas individuals used the cover of a humanitarian ceasefire to attack Israeli soldiers and even to take one hostage. That would be a rather barbaric violation of the ceasefire."