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Smoke rises after an Israel air strike in Gaza Strip December 28, 2008. - Source: Reuters
Hamas said it captured two Israeli soldiers during fighting in the Gaza Strip on Sunday and was holding them hostage.
But the Israeli army said it had no knowledge of any of its soldiers falling into Hamas's hands.
"Two soldiers were captured," Hamas radio and television said.
The capture of Israeli soldiers by Hamas could have a large impact on public support in Israel for the Gaza offensive, in which 470 Palestinians have been killed since December 27.
Gaza militants captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid in June 2006.
Negotiations brokered by Egypt to secure Shalit's release have foundered.
Meanwhile, Israeli tank shells killed at least 12 Palestinians, most of them civilians, during clashes with Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, Palestinian medics and witnesses said.
At least two of those killed by the tank shells in Beit Lahiya were militants. But most were civilians, including four members of the same family who were killed when a shell hit their home.
Are you a New Zealander currently visiting or living in Gaza? Get in touch with ONE News at news@tvnz.co.nz
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