Gaza Crisis: Israeli Soldier 'Seized by Hamas Militants'

The Israeli military has revealed that one of its soldiers may have been captured in the Gaza Strip during an operation to neutralise a tunnel.

The soldier has been named as Second Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, 23, a low-level officer in the Givati Brigade from Kfar Saba.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) tweeted on their official account: "This morning, Hamas fired at our forces in S. Gaza in violation of a ceasefire. We suspect that an IDF soldier was kidnapped moments later."

"We are conducting extensive searches in S. Gaza in order to find a missing IDF soldier. We suspect the soldier was kidnapped by Hamas today."

In the alleged capture, the IDF revealed that a Hamas suicide bomber detonated on Israeli soldiers as he exited a tunnel near the southern Gaza town of Rafah.

The revelation comes after a proposed 72-hour ceasefire collapsed after just two hours, following claims of a Hamas rocket attack on Israel.

The Israeli military retaliated to the "serious incident" with tank shelling in Rafah which killed at least 27 people, according to Palestinian officials.

However, Hamas' military wing released a statement alleging that Israel broke the ceasefire when it entered the tunnel in Rafah. The ceasefire agreement permitted Israel to continue to conduct operations against militant tunnels in the territory.

"Israelis breached the ceasefire and the Palestinian resistance acted in a way that ensures its right of self-defence," said Hamas spokesman Fauzi Barhum.

"The world is demanded to immediately interfere to stop the ongoing massacres against our people."

A senior Israeli official said that Israel's response to the capture would be "crushing".

"Hamas is responsible for ending the ceasefire. Israel's response will be crushing," the official said.

"Hamas breached the ceasefire & cheated the US Secretary of State and UN Secretary-General. It will pay a heavy price."

In 2006, Palestinian militants captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, where he was held for five years before being released and exchanged for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in 2011.

In Israel's current 'Operation Protective Edge', Hamas has claimed to have already captured an IDF soldier, Oron Shaul, but the IDF determined that the Staff Sergeant had been "killed in action".

The truce had been mediated by the United States and the United Nations to allow "innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence".

According to Palestinian officials, 1,460 Palestinians - the majority civilians - have been killed in the conflict. The Israeli military has confirmed that 63 Israelis - 61 of those soldiers - have been killed in the ongoing clashes.