Hamas said on Tuesday that after an Israeli strike it had “lost contact” with the captors of an Israeli-American hostage in Gaza, whose release reportedly takes centre stage in Israel’s latest proposal for a renewed ceasefire.
Abu Ubaida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement on Telegram that it lost contact after the Israeli army attacked the place where the militants were holding Alexander, who is a New Jersey native and a 21-year-old soldier in the Israeli army.
Abu Ubaida did not say where in Gaza Alexander was purportedly held. The military wing later released a video addressed to the families of the remaining hostages, warning them that their loved ones were likely to return in coffins if Israel kept up its bombardment of the territory.
Hamas has previously blamed Israel for the deaths of hostages held in Gaza, including as a direct result of military operations, while also acknowledging on at least one occasion that a hostage was killed by a guard. It said the guard had acted against instructions.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli military to a request for comment on the Hamas statement about Alexander.
President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters at the White House in March that gaining the release of Alexander, believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, was a “top priority for us”.
On Saturday, Hamas released a video purportedly showing Alexander, who has been held in Gaza since he was captured by Palestinian militants on 7 October 2023.
The release of Alexander was at the centre of talks held between Hamas leaders and US hostage negotiator Adam Boehler last month.
Hamas released 38 hostages under a ceasefire that began on 19 January. In March, Israel’s military resumed its ground and aerial offensive on Gaza, abandoning the ceasefire after Hamas rejected proposals to extend the truce without ending the war.
Israeli officials say that offensive will continue until the remaining 59 hostages are freed and Gaza is demilitarised. Hamas insists it will free hostages only as part of a deal to end the war and has rejected demands to lay down its arms.
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