The armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas says it has misplaced contact with a gaggle holding Israeli-US captive Edan Alexander within the Gaza Strip after “direct Israeli bombardment” focused the realm the place he was being held.
“Evidently the occupation military is intentionally attempting to kill him and therefore relieve themselves from the stress attributable to the dual-citizen prisoners with the intention to proceed its genocide in opposition to our individuals,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, stated on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Hamas had launched a video exhibiting Alexander – a New Jersey native and a 21-year-old soldier within the Israeli military – alive.
Alexander seemed to be beneath duress within the video and appealed to US President Donald Trump to get him out of Gaza and urged the US president to not imagine “lies” informed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In his newest assertion, Abu Obeida didn’t say the place Alexander was being held in Gaza. The group’s armed wing later launched a video warning households of the captives that their “youngsters will return in black coffins with their our bodies torn aside from shrapnel out of your military”.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza Metropolis, stated Palestinians throughout the enclave imagine that the US “has an curiosity” in securing Alexander’s launch in a negotiated deal.
“They imagine it will enhance stress on the Israeli authorities to hurry up the method and are available to an settlement,” Mahmoud stated. “Whether it is confirmed that Alexander has been killed, then the Palestinian teams will lose what they hoped can be a lever of stress in opposition to the Netanyahu authorities to get him to signal a ceasefire settlement.”
Hamas has previously blamed Israel for the deaths of captives held in Gaza, together with as a direct results of bombardment, whereas additionally acknowledging on at the least one event {that a} captive was killed by a guard. It stated the guard had acted in opposition to directions.
Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff informed reporters on the White Home in March that securing the discharge of Alexander, believed to be the final residing US hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, was a “high precedence for us”.
The potential launch of Alexander was on the centre of earlier talks held between Hamas leaders and US negotiator Adam Boehler final month.
Humanitarian scenario at its ‘worst’
The announcement comes as Netanyahu stated Israel would press on with its army offensive in Gaza to safe the discharge of captives and praised troops throughout a go to to the devastated north of the territory.
“They’re placing the enemy and Hamas will proceed to endure blow after blow. We insist that they launch our hostages, and we insist on attaining all of our struggle targets,” Netanyahu informed troopers in Gaza, in accordance with an announcement from his workplace.
In a cellphone name with Netanyahu, France’s President Emmanuel Macron stated he informed Israel’s chief that the struggling of the individuals in Gaza “should finish”, and that solely a ceasefire may free the remaining Israeli captives.
Hamas launched 38 captives beneath the final truce settlement that started on January 19. In mid-March, Israel’s army resumed its ground and aerial offensive on Gaza, abandoning the ceasefire and reimposing a complete blockade of Gaza.
Hamas decried the continuing blockade, saying Israel has been stopping the entry of “all important objects crucial for all times, together with meals provides, medication and gas”.
The United Nations has additionally warned that Gaza’s humanitarian disaster is spiralling uncontrolled.
“The humanitarian scenario is now seemingly the worst it has been within the 18 months for the reason that outbreak of hostilities,” stated the UN Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Israeli forces continued to bombard areas throughout Gaza on Tuesday, killing at the least 21 individuals, in accordance with Gaza’s civil defence.
Since Israel’s assault started in October 2023, greater than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed, largely girls and kids, in accordance with the Gaza Well being Ministry.
Israeli officers say that the offensive will proceed till the remaining 59 captives are freed and till Hamas is demilitarised. Hamas insists it would free hostages solely as a part of a deal to finish the struggle completely, and has repeatedly rejected calls for to put down its arms.
Israel issued a truce proposal to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Monday, providing a 45-day non permanent ceasefire in trade for Hamas disarming and releasing 11 Israeli captives nonetheless held in Gaza.
Hamas stated in an announcement it was “learning” the proposal, however senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri informed Al Jazeera previous to the discharge of the official assertion that Hamas wouldn’t settle for any demand to disarm.
