WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday called for the release of a soldier Israel Defense Forces said was kidnapped by Hamas after a 72-hour cease-fire was broken.
Obama said he held Hamas responsible for the abduction of 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin.
"I want to make sure they are listening. If they are serious about a cease-fire, that soldier needs to be unconditionally released," Obama told reporters from Washington.
IDF officials said Goldin was abducted about an hour and a half after the start of a three-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
A Hamas militant wearing a suicide vest allegedly detonated near a tunnel where Israeli soldiers were station. IDF officials believe Goldin was kidnapped at that time.
We suspect that a group of Hamas terrorists, including a suicide attacker, kidnapped 2nd. Lt. Goldin at 9:30AM & dragged him into a tunnel.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) August 1, 2014Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan said Israel made up the abduction story.
"It's clear that the capture of the soldier is an Israeli story; there's nothing from the resistance saying there was a capture," he told CNN.
