Two Israelis held in Gaza, one by Hamas: ministry

Two Israelis are being held captive in the Gaza Strip, including one detained by Hamas after crossing into the territory last year, Israeli officials said July 9, raising fears of another hostage crisis.

The defence ministry said that "according to credible intelligence" Avraham Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent, "is being held against his will by Hamas in Gaza."  

It said in a statement that he had "independently crossed the security fence" into Gaza, the Palestinian territory ruled by Islamist movement Hamas, while media reports said the 28-year-old had climbed over the barrier for unclear reasons.
 
"Furthermore, the defence establishment is currently dealing with an additional case of an Israeli Arab also being held in Gaza," it said, without providing further details on the second person.
 
Hamas had not yet commented on the case.
 
The statement said that Mengistu entered the Palestinian territory on September 7, 2014, shortly after the end of a 50-day war between Israel and Hamas.
 
Israel maintains a strict blockade against Gaza and does not allow its citizens to enter the territory, partly out of fears that they may be used as bargaining chips to demand concessions, including the release of prisoners.
 
"Israel has appealed to international and regional interlocutors to demand his immediate release and verify his well-being," the ministry statement added.
 
The case had previously been kept quiet due to an Israeli gag order, which was lifted on July 9 by a judge in the southern city of Ashkelon, where Mengistu lived, local media reported.
 
The reports said that information on the unidentified Israeli Arab was still under a gag order.
         
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