Hamas says it has misplaced contact with US-Israeli hostage in Gaza

Hamas says it has “misplaced contact” with the group of fighters holding an Israeli-American hostage captive in Gaza following an Israeli strike on their location.

The 21-year-old soldier, Edan Alexander, has appeared in movies launched by the group in latest days.

Israel had requested for him to be launched on day certainly one of a brand new 45-day ceasefire proposal put ahead final week which has been rejected by Hamas.

Hamas on Tuesday didn’t point out when contact had been misplaced and has not produced any proof for his or her declare. Israel frequently asserts it avoids hitting areas the place it believes hostages are being held.

“We announce that we have now misplaced contact with the group holding soldier Edan Alexander following a direct strike on their location,” Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida mentioned in an announcement.

“We’re nonetheless attempting to succeed in them at this second,” he added.

Of the 251 hostages taken throughout Hamas’ 2023 assault, 59 stay within the enclave, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

5 of the hostages in Gaza are believed to be US residents and Alexander was regarded as the one one nonetheless alive.

Hamas afterward Tuesday additionally launched a video addressed to the households of the remaining hostages, warning that they’d return in coffins if Israel continued its navy offensive in Gaza.

On Saturday, Hamas had launched a video of Alexander alive during which he pleads for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump to barter his launch.

He gave the impression to be talking below duress as he criticised the Israeli authorities.

Alexander was a part of an Israeli proposal for a 45-day ceasefire that might contain “the discharge of half of the hostages within the first week of the settlement,” a Hamas official informed AFP. The official mentioned the proposal known as for Alexander’s launch on the primary day as a “gesture of goodwill”.

A two-month ceasefire initially of the 12 months noticed Hamas launch 33 hostages in return for the discharge of 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and help and items coming into the strip.

After negotiations for a second part unravelled, Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March.

Born in Tel Aviv however raised in New Jersey, Alexander served in an elite infantry unit on the border with Gaza when he was captured by Hamas militants in the course of the 7 October assault.

His father, Adi Alexander, had questioned Netanyahu’s actions in an interview on Monday with US outlet NewsNation, asking: “How do you propose to get hostages out with out ending this conflict and with out committing to the second part of this deal?”

Hamas has mentioned it is able to return all of these nonetheless held captive in alternate for a whole finish to hostilities and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

On Tuesday, the group rejected Israel’s proposal for a renewed ceasefire as a result of it known as for his or her disarmament and it didn’t decide to Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza or an finish to the conflict.

A senior Palestinian official informed the BBC: “The Israeli proposal relayed to the motion by way of Egypt explicitly known as for the disarmament of Hamas with none Israeli dedication to finish the conflict or withdraw from Gaza. Hamas due to this fact rejected the provide in its entirety.”

Since Israel restarted its offensive in Gaza, no less than 1,630 individuals have been killed – bringing the whole killed in 18 months of conflict to 51,000, based on the newest figures from the Hamas-run well being ministry.

The conflict was triggered by the Hamas assaults on 7 October 2023 during which 1,200 individuals have been killed and 251 taken hostage.