Israel and Hamas are both accusing each other of breaking the 72-hour truce brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon just two hours after it went into effect. The ceasefire fell through today as violence erupted in and around the southern town of Rafah with at least 50 Palestinians killed by Israeli shelling and one Israeli soldier abducted.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) issued a statement indicating that it is currently conducting extensive searches to locate the missing soldier. IDF Spokesman, Lieutenant Peter Lerner, has identified the missing soldier as Second Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, aged 23. He said that the soldier was captured as the Israeli military was implementing the ceasefire and that two IDF soldiers were killed during the suspected capture.

“Once again, Hamas and the terror organisations in Gaza have blatantly broken the ceasefire to which they committed, this time before the American Secretary of State and the UN Secretary General,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

After the apparent kidnapping the ceasefire ended, crushing hopes of Palestineans to receive humanitarian relief, be able to bury their dead, tend to the injured people and restock on food supplies.

Talks in Cairo that were aimed at negotiating a more durable deal were postponed after the ceasefire ended.