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.

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.

A general view of the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip August 10, 2022.
A general view of the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip August 10, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)

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.