Military sources said on Thursday that a soldier who disappeared during an orienteering exercise had probably done so of his own accord and that it was unlikely he had been kidnapped.
Late Thursday night the Israel Defense Forces continued a huge search operation for the soldier from the army's elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit after he failed to join the rest of his unit following a navigation exercise near the Ella Valley in southern Israel.
The soldier, who has not been named, was taking part in navigation training in a forested area. Minutes before the start of the 20km march, the soldier ran off into the darkness and his comrades were unable to locate him, witnesses said.
Sayeret Matkal commanders immediately called a halt to the exercise and alerted other units with a request for help in the search operation, which made use of hundreds of troops and light aircraft.
Searchers deployed in two concentric circles: Regular troops scoured the ground for any sign of the absent soldier within 3km of the point where he was last seen, while specially trained scouts and police combed surrounding roads and trails.
Meanwhile, military investigators interviewed the soldier's friends and family in an effort to build a psychological profile of the soldier.
Investigators said it was unlikely that the man, a highly trained combat soldier from what is generally regarded as the IDF's top unit, had been kidnapped, as he was armed and the training area was not known as a target for militant operations.
It was probable that he was hiding in or near the training zone, or had been hurt and was awaiting rescue, investigators said, adding that to their knowledge the soldier was not carrying a radio or a tracking device.
Israel has feared new abductions since another soldier, Gilad Shalit, was captured by Hamas in a cross-border raid from Gaza four years ago. Shalit remains in captivity, while militants have vowed to seize more troops.