IDF Spokesperson clarified on Sunday that no soldier had been abducted following claims made by Hamas it had kidnapped a soldier in Jabalya, in the Gaza Strip.
"The IDF clarifies that there is no incident in which a soldier was abducted," the IDF said in a statement.
הבהרה: אין אירוע של חטיפת חייל.
— דובר צה״ל דניאל הגרי - Daniel Hagari (@IDFSpokesperson) May 25, 2024
Hamas's claim
A spokesman for Hamas's armed wing said on Sunday it had captured Israeli soldiers during fighting in Jabalya in northern Gaza on Saturday, though the IDF denied the claim.
The Hamas armed wing spokesman did not say how many soldiers had been abducted and showed no proof of the claim.
"Our fighters lured a Zionist force into an ambush inside a tunnel...The fighters withdrew after they left all members of the force dead, wounded, and captured," Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for Al Qassam Brigades, said in a recorded message broadcast by Al Jazeera early on Sunday.
Hamas released a video that appeared to show a bloodied person being dragged along the ground in a tunnel and photos of military fatigue and rifle. Reuters could not independently verify the identity of the person shown in the video nor his or her condition.