Hamas says contact lost with unit holding Israeli-American soldier
3 Min Read
The latest statement from Al-Qassam echoes repeated warnings from Hamas that "Israel's" bombardment endangers not only Palestinian civilians but also the captives held in Gaza.
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Palestinians look at the crater left by an Israeli army strike that killed at least three people in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Tuesday that it has lost communication with the group responsible for detaining Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander, following what it described as a direct strike on their location.
"We announce that we lost contact with the group holding the soldier Edan Alexander after a direct strike on their position. We are continuing our attempts to reach them," the Brigades said in an official statement.
The announcement follows the release of a video just days earlier, on Sunday, in which the US-Israeli soldier appeared alive. In the footage, part of the group's "Time is Running Out" media campaign, Alexander condemned the Israeli and US governments for abandoning him, saying he was "disgusted by this world and [the] Israeli government," and calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a dictator. He claimed that Hamas had been ready to release him three weeks prior, but Netanyahu refused. "We really think we'll come home dead," he added, expressing despair over the deteriorating situation amid the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza.
The latest statement from Al-Qassam echoes repeated warnings from Hamas that "Israel's" bombardment endangers not only Palestinian civilians but also the captives held in Gaza. Spokesman Abu Obeida recently stated that "half of the living enemy captives are located in areas the Israeli army has recently ordered to evacuate" and stressed that "Israel" would bear full responsibility for the consequences of its military actions. "Had [the Israeli government] truly cared about them, it would have honored the agreement signed in January — and most of them might have been home by now," he said.
Negotiations for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange are ongoing, with a Hamas delegation currently in Cairo to engage with Egyptian and Qatari mediators. A leaked Israeli proposal reportedly included plans to release Alexander as a goodwill gesture to the United States, signaling the high diplomatic stakes surrounding his case.
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As efforts continue toward securing a truce, the loss of contact with the group holding Alexander adds further uncertainty to the fate of captives in Gaza, many of whom are believed to be in areas heavily targeted by Israeli airstrikes.
