He further explained that their assessment indicates that “the occupation army is deliberately trying to get rid of the pressure of the dual-nationality prisoners’ file.
Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Tuesday that contact has been lost with the group holding Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, who also holds American citizenship. This occurred after a direct Israeli airstrike targeted their location in the Gaza Strip.
In a post on Telegram, Abu Obeida stated that the Al-Qassam Brigades are still attempting to reach them.
He further explained that their assessment indicates that “the occupation army is deliberately trying to get rid of the pressure of the dual-nationality prisoners’ file in order to continue its war of genocide against our people.”
Coinciding with this announcement, the Al-Qassam Brigades released a video message addressed to the families of Israeli captives, stating: “Be prepared. Soon your sons will return in black coffins.” The message added that “your leadership has signed the death warrant for the prisoners, so prepare their burial places.”
This development follows the release by the Brigades last Saturday of a video featuring Alexander appealing to US President Donald Trump to intervene for his release. In the video, he accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning the captives in Gaza.
This was the second video appearance of Alexander. He previously appeared in a video released by the Brigades on November 30, 2024, where he stated that he did not want his fate to be like that of fellow American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose death was announced by the Al-Qassam Brigades due to Israeli army fire.
It is worth noting that Hamas had previously announced its agreement to release Alexander, along with the bodies of four other captives, in response to an American proposal. This came after Israel reneged on a ceasefire agreement and resumed its offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The renewed Israeli violence on March 18 broke a ceasefire that began on January 19. The latest Israeli military actions have killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians, mostly civilians.
While the violations have been condemned by numerous countries and human rights groups, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins. Additionally, over 116,000 have been wounded, while 14,000 remain missing.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the besieged enclave.
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