Arrest (illustrative)
Arrest (illustrative)Israel news photo: Honenu

The family of an Arab man from Gaza who has gone missing is claiming that he was taken by Israel.

There have been conflicting reports regarding the identity of the missing man. The Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency identified him as Wael Abu Reida, 27, of Khan Younis.

Reida was reportedly in Egypt to receive medical treatment when he disappeared.

His family claims to have received phone calls saying he was taken by the Mossad and is being held in Israel. The family has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to intervene.

Relatives of the missing man told local media outlets that he is not involved in terrorism.

Israel’s Arab neighbors have often accused the Mossad of close surveillance and of involvement in various terrorist deaths, with some even claiming that the group trains sharks and vultures to do its work.

Israel's undercover agencies frequently arrest terrorists secretly, waiting weeks to make the arrest public in order to avoid interfering with ongoing investigations.