Hamas reported on Tuesday that, following an Israeli strike, it had “lost contact” with the captors of Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American hostage in Gaza. The release of Alexander reportedly plays a pivotal role in Israel’s latest proposal for a renewed ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited northern Gaza on the same day and announced the continuation of military operations that resumed on March 18, effectively ending a two-month ceasefire. Addressing troops, Netanyahu asserted that Hamas would continue to “suffer blow after blow.”
In a statement on Telegram, Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, announced the loss of contact with those holding soldier Edan Alexander due to a direct strike. He further stated that efforts to reach the captors were ongoing.
Hamas later released a video addressed to the families of the remaining hostages, warning that their loved ones might return in coffins if Israel continued its attacks. The video featured masked militants ominously carrying black coffins, accompanied by a message urging families to be prepared for such a tragic outcome.
Soldier Edan Alexander was featured in a video released by Hamas on Saturday, where he appeared to criticize the Israeli government for not securing his release, seemingly under duress. Alexander, who was serving in an elite infantry unit on the Gaza border, was abducted during Hamas’s attack in October 2023. He turned 21 in captivity and was born in Tel Aviv, later moving to New Jersey before returning to Israel to enlist in the army.
On Monday, Hamas announced that it had received an Israeli offer for a new truce, which proposed the release of 10 living hostages—starting with Alexander—in exchange for a 45-day ceasefire. This proposal, delivered by Egyptian officials to Hamas’s delegation in Cairo, included a request from Israel for the disarmament of Palestinian militants, which one Hamas official claimed crossed a “red line.”
Out of 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 2023 attack, 58 remain in captivity, with 34 confirmed dead by the Israeli military. Netanyahu reiterated to troops in northern Gaza that Hamas would continue to face significant strikes and emphasized the necessity of securing the release of hostages.
French President Emmanuel Macron communicated with Netanyahu on Tuesday, stating that only a ceasefire in Gaza could facilitate the release of the remaining hostages. Macron highlighted the urgent need to address the suffering of Gazan civilians and called for the reopening of humanitarian aid crossings. Israel has imposed a cutoff of all aid to Gaza since March 2 as a tactic against Hamas.
The United Nations has warned of a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with no aid entering the territory for over a month and a half. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicated that the humanitarian situation is the worst it has been in 18 months. Netanyahu’s office responded to Macron’s previous remarks about recognizing a Palestinian state by asserting that such a move would reward terrorism significantly.
