Hamas says Israeli strike severed contact with fighters guarding hostage Edan Alexander in Gaza

Hamas says it has lost contact with the group of fighters holding Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander, following what it claims was an Israeli airstrike on their location in Gaza. The announcement came just days after Alexander was featured in a Hamas-released video, pleading for his release.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida said, “We announce that we have lost contact with the group holding soldier Edan Alexander following a direct strike on their location. We are still trying to reach them at this moment.”

The group has not offered evidence for the claim or specified when contact was lost. Israel, which has long maintained it avoids striking areas believed to be holding hostages, has not publicly responded to Hamas’s assertion. However, the development adds uncertainty to ongoing ceasefire talks that have struggled to gain traction.

Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier with dual Israeli-American citizenship, was captured during Hamas’s 7 October 2023 cross-border attack. Born in Tel Aviv and raised in New Jersey, Alexander had been serving in an elite Israeli infantry unit near Gaza when he was taken hostage.

He is believed to be the last living American hostage in Gaza, according to Israeli officials. Of the 251 hostages abducted during the 2023 attack, 59 remain in Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

Hamas’s latest claim follows Israel’s ceasefire proposal last week, which reportedly included Alexander’s release on the first day of a planned 45-day truce. The plan also called for half of the remaining hostages to be released within the first week. Hamas rejected the deal on Tuesday, citing Israel’s refusal to end the war or commit to withdrawal from Gaza. A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that Israel’s offer included a demand for Hamas disarmament without any guarantee of a full ceasefire.

Earlier this week, Alexander appeared in a Hamas-released video where he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump to secure his release. Just days later, Hamas’s apparent reversal leaves his condition and whereabouts unknown.

In a grim follow-up, Hamas also released a video addressed to hostage families, warning that continued Israeli military operations would lead to the return of their loved ones “in coffins.”

Alexander’s father, Adi Alexander, criticised Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage situation during a Monday interview with NewsNation. “How do you plan to get hostages out without ending this war and without committing to the second phase of this deal?” he asked.

The standoff comes amid a deadly escalation in Gaza. Since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March, more than 1,630 people have been killed, bringing the death toll to around 51,000 over 18 months of war, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The current conflict stems from Hamas’s surprise 7 October attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

As negotiations stall, the fate of Edan Alexander remains unknown—and with Hamas claiming a critical communication breakdown, the window for his safe return appears to be narrowing.