JERUSALEM (AP) — The latest on the news of two Israeli citizens being held in Gaza (all times local) : 
 
 In this Saturday, June 20, 2015 photo, Israelis rest by the beach near Kibbutz Zikim, on the Israel-Gaza border. Israeli defense officials say two Israeli citizens are being held in the Gaza Strip. The... (Associated Press) 
 
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 2 p.m. 
 
 The hometown mayor of an Israeli being held in Gaza says the family has suffered but shown restraint throughout the months-long ordeal. 
 
 Itamar Shimoni, the mayor of Ashkelon, said Thursday that the family of Avraham Mangisto is not a family that will go out demonstrating. He said the family of five brothers "has been hurting for several months now" and that "it's not easy." He said local authorities are supporting the family. 
 
 Authorities say Mangisto walked through a breach in the border fence between Israel and Gaza last September and is believed to be held by the militant group Hamas, which rules the territory. It's not clear why he crossed into Gaza. 
 
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 1:30 p.m. 
 
 A brother of an Israeli citizen held in the Gaza Strip is calling on the international community to exert pressure to lead to his release. 
 
 Ilan Mangisto said at a news conference Thursday that his brother Avraham Mangisto is not in the best of health. He called the situation "a difficult humanitarian matter." 
 
 Ilan Mangisto did not elaborate on the health issue, but Israeli Channel 2 TV cited the family as saying that Avraham Mangisto was depressed following the death of his brother. 
 
 Authorities say Avraham Mangisto walked through a breach in the border fence between Israel and Gaza last September and is believed to be held by the militant group Hamas, which rules the territory. 
 
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 12:30 p.m. 
 
 Israeli defense officials say an Arab-Israeli citizen being held in the Gaza Strip is a Bedouin man from Israel's Negev desert. 
 
 Officials refused to say how long he has been held in Gaza or how he got there. They also would not say which group had him in custody. 
 
 Bedouin make up a small group within Israel's Arab minority, numbering about 180,000. 
 
 Israeli authorities said Thursday that two of its citizens are being held in the Gaza Strip. The other is an Israeli Ethiopian man who crossed into the Palestinian territory last September and is believed held by the Hamas militant group which rules Gaza. ||||| JERUSALEM — The latest on the news of two Israeli citizens being held in Gaza (all times local) : 
 
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 3:50 p.m. 
 
 Israel's prime minister says the country is working to return two of its citizens said to be held in the Gaza Strip. 
 
 In a statement Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke to the family of one of the men, an Israeli Ethiopian, telling them he "has not spared any effort" to return the man to Israel. He said Israel holds Hamas responsible for the men's well-being. 
 
 Netanyahu said he appointed a representative to deal with the matter and liaise with the missing men's families. 
 
 He said he expects the international community to issue a call for the men's release. 
 
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 2 p.m. 
 
 The hometown mayor of an Israeli being held in Gaza says the family has suffered but shown restraint throughout the months-long ordeal. 
 
 Itamar Shimoni, the mayor of Ashkelon, said Thursday that the family of Avraham Mangisto is not a family that will go out demonstrating. He said the family of five brothers "has been hurting for several months now" and that "it's not easy." He said local authorities are supporting the family. 
 
 Authorities say Mangisto walked through a breach in the border fence between Israel and Gaza last September and is believed to be held by the militant group Hamas, which rules the territory. It's not clear why he crossed into Gaza. 
 
 ___ 
 
 1:30 p.m. 
 
 A brother of an Israeli citizen held in the Gaza Strip is calling on the international community to exert pressure to lead to his release. 
 
 Ilan Mangisto said at a news conference Thursday that his brother Avraham Mangisto is not in the best of health. He called the situation "a difficult humanitarian matter." 
 
 Ilan Mangisto did not elaborate on the health issue, but Israeli Channel 2 TV cited the family as saying that Avraham Mangisto was depressed following the death of his brother. 
 
 Authorities say Avraham Mangisto walked through a breach in the border fence between Israel and Gaza last September and is believed to be held by the militant group Hamas, which rules the territory. 
 
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 12:30 p.m. 
 
 Israeli defense officials say an Arab-Israeli citizen being held in the Gaza Strip is a Bedouin man from Israel's Negev desert. 
 
 Officials refused to say how long he has been held in Gaza or how he got there. They also would not say which group had him in custody. 
 
 Bedouin make up a small group within Israel's Arab minority, numbering about 180,000. 
 
 Israeli authorities said Thursday that two of its citizens are being held in the Gaza Strip. The other is an Israeli Ethiopian man who crossed into the Palestinian territory last September and is believed held by the Hamas militant group which rules Gaza. ||||| Play Facebook 
 
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 Two Israeli citizens are being held against their will in Gaza — at least one by Hamas, Israeli officials said Thursday. 
 
 A government statement said that Avraham Mengistu, 28, independently crossed into the Gaza Strip on September 7, 2014. 
 
 "According to credible intelligence, Mengistu is being held against his will by Hamas in Gaza," the statement said, adding that Israel is demanding his immediate release after nearly a year. 
 
 The statement also referred to a second case involving an "Israeli Arab ... being held in Gaza" but did not name the individual or provide further details. 
 
 However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel holds Hamas "responsible" for the welfare of both men. 
 
 "I expect the international community, which expresses its concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, to issue a clear call for these citizens to be released and to see to their return," he said in a statement. 
 
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 Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said he was in touch with the Mengistu family and that authorities have been "working tirelessly" to resolve the "painful situation." 
 
 "This is a humanitarian issue, and we expect those holding him to behave accordingly and return him in good health," Rivlin said in a statement. "According to the information which has arisen, Mengistu is being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. We will continue to make every effort in order to bring an end to this incident, as soon as possible." 
 
 Hamas has not responded to NBC News' repeated requests for comment. 
 
 The cases were made public after Israel's military lifted a gag order Thursday and were sure to evoke memories of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was held captive for more than five years and released in 2011 in exchange for the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. 
 
 While it was not immediately clear why the gag order was lifted, the timing was significant: the fatal abduction of three Israeli teens launched the summer war in Gaza exactly one year ago. 
 
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 Israeli media reported that Mengistu previously was prone to disappearing and suffered from mental illness. 
 
 His brother, Ilan, alluded to that at a press conference on Thursday, saying that Mangisto "is not healthy" and urging his release. 
 
 "I'm asking the international community to engage and use their power to free my brother," he told reporters. I call Hamas and ask them to take into consideration his health and to release him immediately." 
 
 Earlier, father Ayelin Mengistu told Israel's Channel 2 News that his son "used to go missing" for a few days at a time and was depressed after another brother's suicide. 
 
 Israeli Cabinet Minister Yaakov Peri told reporters Thursday that Israel had a "moral obligation" to secure Mengistu freedom. 
 
 "We know that Mengistu is held by the Hamas," he said. "We are holding Hamas as responsible for holding him. Israel will make every effort to bring him back." ||||| Israeli authorities said Thursday two Israeli citizens are being held in the Gaza Strip, at least one of them by the Hamas militant group. 
 
 Avraham Mangisto crossed the border fence into the Gaza Strip on Sept. 7 last year, almost two weeks after the end of the bloody Israel-Gaza war, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian affairs said. 
 
 The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said that “according to credible intelligence,” Mangisto is being held “against his will” by Hamas. It said “Israel has appealed (to) international and regional interlocutors to demand his immediate release and verify his well-being.” 
 
 A spokesman for Hamas, Salah Bardawil, declined to comment on the matter. “We don't have any information about it. Even if is true, we don't have instructions to talk about it," he said. 
 
 Israel’s military lifted a gag order Thursday to disclose the details of the matter. It’s unclear why they waited months after incident to do so. 
 
 COGAT said the second Israel citizen being held in Gaza is an Arab citizen of Israel. Officials have not provided further information. 
 
 Mengisto, according to Israel media, is a 28-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli. He arrived at an Israel beach on the Gaza border the evening of Sept. 7, left behind his bag and crossed into Gaza through a breach in the border fence apparently left from movement of Israeli tanks during the war. Mengisto is reportedly from the city of Ashkelon. 
 
 Israeli Channel 2 TV said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been in touch with Mengisto's parents and that Lior Lotan, a retired Israeli army colonel, was handling negotiations to return Mengisto to Israel. The family had been instructed not to speak publicly about the matter, media said, but that news of Mengisto being held in Gaza had spread through Israel's Ethiopian immigrant community. 
 
 Israeli Channel 10 broadcast an interview with a man it identified as Mengisto's father, holding up a statement critical of Israeli authorities. 
 
 "They didn't do anything," Haili Mangisto said. "Where is my son?" 
 
 The Associated Press contributed to this report ||||| TEL NOF AIR BASE, Israel (AP) – Looking thin, weary and dazed, an Israeli soldier returned home Tuesday from more than five years of captivity in the Gaza Strip in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners whose joyful families greeted them with massive celebrations. 
 
 Sgt. Gilad Shalit, in a brief but controversial interview with Egyptian TV before being transferred to Israel, said he was "very excited to taste freedom and had missed his family and friends." He said he feared he would remain in captivity "many more years" and worried since being told of the deal last week that last-minute hitches might cause it to collapse. 
 
 "Of course I missed my family. I missed friends, meeting people to talk to people, and not to sit all day, to do the same things," he said. 
 
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 In a press conference at the Tel Nof airbase in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Gilad Shalit with "Shalom Gilad. Welcome back to Israel. How good to have you back home," the BBC reports. 
 
 Shalit was later flown to his home in Mitzpe Hila, in the north of Israel, where thousands were waiting to welcome him. According to the BBC, Shalit told his grandfather that he is really tired and wants to sleep. 
 
 Shalit's father told reporters outside the family's home in Mitzpe Hila that his son will need time to recover from psychological and physical wounds after five years in Hamas captivity. Shalit's father also said his son is still suffering from shrapnel wounds he suffered during his 2006 abduction by Hamas militants. He says his son is struggling with all the attention after spending the last few years in "isolation." 
 
 In Gaza, tens of thousands of flag-waving Palestinians celebrated the homecoming Tuesday of hundreds of prisoners swapped for an Israeli soldier, as political leaders jockeyed for credit for the most significant prisoner release by Israel in nearly three decades. 
 
 In Gaza City, a large crowd crammed into a sandy lot, where a huge stage was set up, decorated with a mural depicting Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit's capture in a June 2006 at an army base near the Gaza border. Thousands hoisted green Hamas flags. 
 
 Many in the crowd were overcome with joy. 
 
 Azhar Abu Jawad, 30, celebrated the return of a brother who had been sentenced to life for killing an Israeli in 1992. She said she last saw him eight years ago, before Israel banned visits by Gazans. 
 
 "My happiness is indescribable," she said. "We'll get him a bride and everything. I just spoke to him. He's so happy. This is a reminder, God doesn't forget anyone." 
 
 In the West Bank, released prisoners were taken to the grave of iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greeted them, and several thousand people filled the courtyard outside his headquarters to celebrate. 
 
 Abbas addressed jubilant crowds from his compound, Ma'an News Agency reports: "We pray that God enables us to see the rest of our sisters and brothers freed in this yard. Your sacrifices, and efforts and work were not in vain. You worked and struggled and sacrificed. You will see the results of your sacrifices in the independent Palestinian state." 
 
 Israeli Sgt. Gilad Shalit was kidnapped in June 2006 by Hamas militants and held captive in the Gaza strip. The most recent video message shows the soldier in September 2009, saying he had been "waiting and yearning" a long time for his release, according to a BBC translation. 
 
 Last week, Israel and the Palestinian organization Hamas reached an agreement on Shalit's release, exchanging over a thousand Palestinian prisoners for the soldier. Israel released 477 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday. 550 other Palestinians will be freed in the next two months. The majority of those released today will return to the Gaza Strip. Some 30 of them will be deported to countries such as Jordan, Turkey and Qatar. About a hundred will go to the West Bank. The deal is perceived as an important political victory for Hamas, despite the fact that the organization was unable to include the release of prominent Palestinian Marwan Barghouti in the negotiations. 
 
 The deal that arranged for Shalit's release sparked controversy in Israel, as the list of Palestinians who will be released includes some convicted of killing Israelis in the past. According to the Associated Press, the deal was the most lopsided prisoner swap in Israel's history. Families of terror victims petitioned against the deal before the Israeli High Court on Monday, hoping to delay the prisoners' swap. 
 
 Last week, 27-year-old Shvuel Schijvenschuurder, whose parents and siblings were killed in a suicide bombing, defaced a memorial for former president Rabin to protest the agreement. 
 
 However, according to Haaretz, Israeli president Shimon Peres said in a meeting with the victims' families on Monday that he understood the families' pain, yet that it was his duty to save Shalit's life. 
 
 In his press conference at Tel Nof airbase, Netanyahu reiterated this sentiment. "Today is a happy day and a sad day for Israel. When I returned to the position of Prime Minister in 2009, I had a important task waiting for me: to return our soldier Gilad Shalit home," he said, according to Haaretz. 
 
 Netanyahu also issued a staunch warning to the freed Palestinian militants. "We will continue to fight terror and every released terrorist who returns to terror will be held accountable," he said. 
 
 Those concerns were underscored with comments by one of the freed prisoners, Hamas militant leader Yehia Sinwar, who called on the movement to kidnap more soldiers. 
 
 In the video above, watch footage of Gilad Shalit posted by the Israel Defense Forces. 
 
 Below, Netanyahu's address:
– Israel said today two of its citizens are being held in the Gaza Strip—and it believes Hamas has had its hands on one of them for almost a year, the AP reports. An Israeli defense unit says that "credible intelligence" shows Avraham Mangisto, said by Israeli media to be a 28-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli, is being held "against his will" by Hamas and that "Israel has appealed [to] international and regional interlocutors to demand his immediate release and verify his well-being," reports Fox News. Mangisto reportedly entered Gaza of his own accord from an Israeli beach on Sept. 7 last year, just a couple of weeks after a ceasefire was declared to end last summer's Gaza war. Israeli defense officials say an Arab-Israeli citizen is also being held, though details are scarce, the New York Times notes. The cases are drawing comparison to that of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was held for five years by Hamas until his release in 2011 in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. The news of the reported captives was made public only after Israeli military officials lifted a gag order this morning, though it wasn't clear why the order was suddenly lifted, NBC News reports. Mangisto's brother Ilan spoke at a press conference this morning about what he's calling "a difficult humanitarian matter," revealing that his brother isn't doing well healthwise, reports the New York Times. "I'm asking the international community to engage and use their power to free my brother," he said, per NBC. "I ask (Hamas) to take into consideration his health and to release him immediately." Meanwhile, their father told Israel's Channel 2 that Avraham often went missing for days on end and had been depressed after another brother killed himself. A Hamas spokesman says, per Fox News, "We don't have any information about it. Even if is true, we don't have instructions to talk about it." (Israeli officials said they foiled a major Hamas terror plot in November.)