Hamas blames Israeli strike after ‘losing contact’ with American hostage Edan Alexander | EUROtoday

Hamas mentioned it had misplaced contact with an Israeli-American hostage in Gaza following an Israeli missile strike on the Palestinian territory.

Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli soldier from New Jersey, US, was captured through the October 2023 Hamas assault on southern Israel. He appeared in a video launched by the militant group over the weekend.

Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing Al-Qassam Brigades, mentioned they misplaced contact with the fighters holding Mr Alexander after Israeli forces carried out a “direct strike” on the place the place he was being held.

The spokesperson didn’t reveal the situation.

“It seems that the occupation army is deliberately trying to kill him and, hence, relieve themselves from the pressure caused by the dual-citizen prisoners in order to continue its genocide against our people,” he mentioned.

Hamas later revealed a video warning family members of the Israeli hostages their kids would “return in black coffins with their bodies torn apart from shrapnel from your army”.

The Palestinian group blamed Israel for the deaths of hostages in Gaza, together with as a direct results of army operations.

It acknowledged, nonetheless, that a minimum of one hostage was killed by a guard performing towards directions.

Israel has beforehand mentioned it doesn’t goal locations the place it suspects hostages are being held. It mentioned its forces would proceed their operations in Gaza till the remaining 59 hostages – of the 251 captured through the 2023 assault – have been freed.

US president Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, advised reporters final month that securing the discharge of Mr Alexander, believed to be the final surviving Israeli-American held in Gaza, was a “top priority for us”.

The Tikva Forum, a bunch representing households of among the captives, mentioned on Tuesday that Mr Alexander was one in every of 10 hostages who could possibly be launched by Hamas if a brand new ceasefire was reached, citing a dialog a day earlier between prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the mom of one other hostage.

Mr Alexander’s launch was reportedly on the centre of talks that US hostage negotiator Adam Boehler held with Hamas final month.

Hamas launched 38 captives throughout a ceasefire that got here into impact on 19 January.

Israel resumed its army operations in March after the primary part of the ceasefire expired, and Hamas declined its proposal to increase the truce with out ending the struggle.

This week, Hamas reportedly rejected a brand new Israeli proposal for a six-week truce. A Palestinian official advised the BBC that the proposal didn’t point out ending the struggle nor Israeli troops leaving the territory.