Israeli forces continued to shell southern Gaza Saturday as the search expanded for an Israeli soldier who went missing early Friday. 

The Israeli military shelled Rafah, a town in southern Gaza, as forces searched for the soldier. The soldier was reportedly abducted by Hamas in an ambush, which ended the three-day humanitarian cease-fire. 

The soldier who was apparently abducted is 23-year-old 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin, USA Today reported. The abduction is threatening to worsen the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which shows no signs of abating. 

Hamas has denied responsibility for the kidnapping, as well as for the violation of the cease-fire that ended two hours after it began. Hamas said Goldin may have been killed in combat with Hamas fighters even before the truce was enacted. 

The military wing of Hamas, called Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said the fighters who were with the missing soldier are most likely dead. 

"We believe all members of this group have died in an (Israeli) strike, including the Zionist soldier the enemy says disappeared," Hamas said in a statement.

The Israeli military did not comment. 

Despite Hamas' claims, the search efforts to find Goldin are continuing. Israel takes captured soldiers very seriously, and the public usually supports undertaking drastic measures to retrieve soldiers who have been captured in battle. Israel released more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in 2011 in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier was held captive by Hamas for five years. 

President Obama spoke out against the abduction of Goldin and called for his immediate release. Obama also said that the United States is working to end the conflict.

While the U.S. wants to bring the conflict to an end, it is also approving $225 million in aid to help restock Israel's Iron Dome, a sophisticated missile defense system that intercepts 90 percent of Hamas' rockets. 

"We are going to continue working on a cease-fire, but it will take time and will be hard," Obama said. 

Meanwhile, the fighting rages on, with 35 Palestinians killed Saturday in Rafah because of airstrikes. The area's main hospital was also evacuated. 

Since fighting began July 8, more than 1,650 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 8,000 have been wounded, according to Palestinian officials. At least 63 Israeli soldiers have died in the conflict, as well as three civilians. 

Palestinian officials reported that more than 150 airstrikes hit Gaza Saturday, including some that were aimed at mosques and one at the Hamas-affiliated Islamic University. Israeli Defense Forces said it hit 200 targets in the past day, including five mosques that were concealing Hamas weapons. They also said that the university was being used for research and weapons manufacturing by Hamas. 

Israel said Hamas usually uses civilian infrastructure such as schools and mosques to hide rocket launchers and other weapons. Conversely, Hamas said Israel uses it military might indiscriminately. However, the IDF gives civilians multiple warnings to evacuate buildings before they are shelled. 

A spokesman from the IDF told Israeli paper Haaretz that the Israeli military is "very close" to destroying all of the tunnels in the Gaza strip, which Hamas uses to infiltrate Israel. 

The Israeli military said four Hamas tunnels have been destroyed in the past 24 hours. 

The majority of Israelis support the completion of the mission to destroy the tunnels and only want an end to the conflict after the mission is completed. 

"I don't want our government to finish it before we accomplish our objectives: to destroy the tunnels, to take out their rockets and to damage their terrorist infrastructure so that they will not be able to bomb us for a few years," Bosmat Habani, 25, of Tel Aviv, told USA Today. "I have no illusions that we can achieve peace, but I am hoping we can get some quiet time. They (Hamas) don't want peace."

Gazans have similar views on the conflict. 

"If Israel has got a problem with Hamas then why it does not deal with them directly?" Omar Melou, 35, asked. "Why instead does it harm the civilians, kill children and destroy their homes?"

In Gaza, civilians are dealing with water, power and fuel shortages while trying to retrieve food and other necessary products. The war has caused thousands of Palestinians to evacuate the territory, and many have been forced to shut up shops and businesses. Hospitals are also struggling to care for the wounded. 

Meanwhile, in Israel, Hamas rockets continue to shoot into Southern Israel, disrupting daily life and causing residents to run for cover.