Ceasefire efforts stall as Hamas warns of hostage deaths
Hamas Says Contact Lost with Hostage Edan Alexander Amid Israeli Strikes
Tensions have intensified in Gaza as Hamas announced it has lost communication with the group holding Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old US-Israeli hostage, following an Israeli airstrike. Alexander, captured during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, was slated for release in a proposed ceasefire deal now rejected by the militant group.
In a statement on Tuesday, Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeida said, “We have lost contact with the unit holding soldier Edan Alexander after a direct Israeli strike on their location. Efforts to re-establish contact are ongoing.” However, no evidence was presented to support the claim, and Israel has reiterated that it avoids bombing areas where hostages may be held.
Just days earlier, Alexander appeared in a video released by Hamas, urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump to negotiate his release. His freedom was supposed to be a goodwill gesture under Israel’s latest 45-day ceasefire proposal, which has since been turned down by Hamas.
The group escalated tensions further by releasing another video warning that if Israeli military operations continue, remaining hostages would “return in coffins.”
Of the 251 hostages taken during the 2023 Hamas attack, 59 remain in Gaza, with only 24 believed to be alive. Alexander was thought to be the last known surviving American among them.
Hamas’s rejection of Israel’s proposal stemmed from new demands including Hamas’s full disarmament, without any Israeli commitment to end the war or withdraw troops from Gaza. A senior Palestinian official told the BBC, “The offer was rejected entirely due to its one-sided nature.”
Since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March 2025, over 1,630 people have been killed in Gaza, bringing the total death toll in the 18-month conflict to 51,000, according to Hamas-run health authorities.
Born in Tel Aviv and raised in New Jersey, Alexander was serving in an elite IDF unit when captured. His father, Adi Alexander, has been vocal about Israel’s approach, questioning how hostages can be rescued without a broader peace commitment.
Hamas insists it is prepared to release all remaining hostages in return for a full ceasefire and an Israeli military withdrawal—terms Israel has refused.
As diplomatic efforts falter, and airstrikes intensify, the fate of Edan Alexander and other captives remains uncertain, deepening the humanitarian and political crisis gripping the region.
