The armed wing of Hamas announced on Sunday that it has lost contact with two Israeli hostages held in Gaza, attributing the disruption to intensified Israeli military operations over the past 48 hours. The group issued a statement demanding that Israeli forces pull back and halt aerial sorties for 24 hours to enable rescue attempts.
In its declaration, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades stated the loss of contact was a direct result of what it described as “brutal military operations” in the Sabra and Tal al-Hawa neighborhoods of Gaza City. The statement warned, “The lives of the two prisoners are in real danger,” and called on the Israel Defence Forces to withdraw south of Street 8 and cease air operations for 24 hours starting from 6:00 PM local time.
The identities of the two hostages have not been disclosed, following a request from their families.
This is not the first such claim from the militant group. On a previous occasion, Hamas reported losing contact with an Israeli-American hostage, who was subsequently released days later.
The announcement follows a recent report from CNN, which cited the Al-Qassam Brigades as stating it would not be concerned for the lives of hostages as long as Israel’s military campaign continues. The group had previously asserted that hostages are distributed within Gaza City’s neighborhoods and warned Israel would not receive any hostages if military operations in the territory persist.
The development comes amid escalating tensions. In a speech at the United Nations on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “finish the job” against Hamas, despite growing international and domestic condemnation of the intensified operations in Gaza.
Separately, US President Donald Trump has claimed that a copy of a US-drafted 21-point peace plan has been sent to both Hamas and Israeli negotiating teams. However, Hamas has denied receiving any proposal from the Trump administration.
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