Hamas says it has lost contact with the group holding the American hostages after an Israeli air strike

Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said it had lost contact with the team in charge of Edan Alexander, an Israeli soldier with dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship, following Israeli air strikes in Gaza.

Al-qassam Brigades spokesman Al-Obaida wrote in a message on Telegram on Tuesday: "We announce that we have lost contact with the group following a direct strike on their location. Attempts are still being made to re-establish contact."

Last Saturday, the Qassam Brigades released a video showing Alexander still alive. In the video, he criticizes the Israeli government for failing to secure his release. He gesticulated frequently and spoke apparently under duress. But it could not be confirmed when the video was filmed.

Alexander, a former member of Israel's elite infantry unit, was abducted at the Gaza border on October 7, 2023, during a raid by Palestinian militants into Israel. Born in Tel Aviv and raised in New Jersey, he returned to Israel to serve after finishing high school and turned 21 during his detention.

According to Israeli military statistics, a total of 251 people were taken hostage by Hamas in the attack on October 7, 2023, and 58 are still not released, of whom 34 are confirmed dead.

Nearly a month after Israel resumed its air and ground offensive in Gaza, Hamas said Monday it has received a new cease-fire proposal from Israel.

A senior Hamas official said Israel had offered a 45-day cease-fire in exchange for the release of the 10 remaining hostages. The official said Israel had proposed releasing Alexander on the first day of the cease-fire as a "goodwill gesture" by Hamas.