Israeli soldiers load shells on to a tank near the border of southern Gaza StripReuters
The Palestine-based Hamas group has said it has "lost contact" with some of its fighters who ambushed Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, and presumes that all of them may have been dead.
The military arm of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, said some combatants, who were part of the Friday attack against the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), have not been in touch, and thus the whereabouts of the 23-year old soldier remain unknown.
"The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades has no information on this soldier. We have lost contact with the combatant group that took part in the ambush, and we believe its members were killed in the [IDF] strikes. Assuming they managed to capture the soldier during the battle, we believe he may have also been killed."
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting while one went missing, sparking speculation that he may have been captured.
US President Barack Obama has called for immediate release of Goldin if ceasefire options are to make progress.
"If they are serious about trying to resolve this situation, that soldier needs to be unconditionally released as soon as possible."
Ever since the soldier disappeared, Israeli forces have stepped up their offensive in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 92 people.
Two rockets were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome over Tel Aviv.
The 72-hour ceasefire fell apart within 90 minutes of coming into effect owing to the ambush.
After a special cabinet session, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas would "bear the consequences of their actions".
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