Leaders condemn ceasefire break

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned "in the strongest terms" the end of an internationally brokered ceasefire on Friday. Earlier in the day, Israel declared what was meant to be a 72-hour ceasefire to be over, saying Hamas militants had captured an Israeli soldier and killed two others.

The killing and capture reportedly took place near the southern city of Rafah. Elsewhere, hospital officials in Gaza said more than 50 Palestinians were killed and 200 injured from renewed Israeli shelling.

Ban called on Israel and Hamas to show restraint and return to the truce.

"The secretary-general demands the immediate and unconditional release of the captured soldier," his office said in a news release, adding that Ban was "shocked and profoundly disappointed by the renewed violence."

The reported violation of the ceasefire by Hamas "is likely to have very serious consequences for the people of Gaza, Israel and beyond," and "call into question the credibility of Hamas' assurances to the United Nations," Ban said.

No confirmation from Hamas

US Secretary of State John Kerry echoed Ban's comments, describing the attack that killed the Israeli soldiers as "outrageous."

"The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms today's attack," Kerry said in a statement as he flew back to the US from an official trip to India, calling on Hamas to "immediately and unconditionally release" the missing soldier.

Kerry said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the developments.

Hamas, which governs Gaza, has not confirmed nor denied it is holding the captured soldier.

Mutual accusations

Earlier on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas accused the other of breaking the truce.

Asked during a press conference whether the ceasefire was over, IDF spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said: "Yes. We are continuing our activities on the ground."

"Our initial indications suggest a soldier has been abducted by terrorists in an incident where terrorists breached the ceasefire," Lerner said.

Hamas, however, blamed Israel of violating the ceasefire. "The Palestinian resistance acted based on... the right to self defense [and] to stop the massacres of our people," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said in a statement, according to the AFP news agency.

More than 1,450 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip since it began on July 8. On the Israeli side, around 60 people have died, most of them soldiers.

jr/dr (AP, Reuters, AFP)