Smoke and flames are seen following what witnesses said were Israeli air strikes in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip
AFP/Gaza City
Egypt told Palestinian officials Friday it is delaying ceasefire talks in Cairo after Israel said militants captured one of its soldiers in Gaza, a senior Islamic Jihad official said.
"The Egyptians contacted the Islamic Jihad and said Israel told them that a soldier has been captured," the group's deputy leader Ziad al-Nakhale told AFP. "The talks have postponed."
Israeli forces in the southern Gaza Strip are searching for the missing soldier they fear may have been captured by militants during clashes on Friday, the army said.
"Initial indications suggest that a soldier has been abducted by terrorists," a statement said. "The Israel Defence Forces are currently conducting intelligence efforts and extensive searches in order to locate the missing soldier."
