GAZA CITY: Hamas’s armed wing has called on Israel to temporarily suspend air strikes and withdraw forces from part of Gaza City to facilitate the search for two missing Israeli hostages.
The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades stated that the lives of the two captives were in genuine danger and demanded an immediate military withdrawal south of Street 8.
Their statement specifically requested a 24-hour cessation of aerial operations beginning at 18:00 local time to enable rescue attempts for the prisoners.
Hamas earlier attributed the loss of contact with the hostages to intensive Israeli military operations over the preceding 48 hours in two southern Gaza City neighbourhoods.
This marks at least the second instance where the Islamist movement has publicly acknowledged losing communication with captives during the conflict.
The Israeli military has consistently ordered Palestinian civilians to evacuate southward since launching its offensive on Gaza City.
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported 38 Palestinian fatalities from Israeli fire on Sunday, including 14 victims within Gaza City itself.
Speaking at the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to complete the military campaign against Hamas despite mounting international criticism.
The current conflict originated with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,219 Israeli casualties according to AFP figures based on official data.
Of the 251 individuals taken hostage during that initial assault, 47 remain captive in Gaza with Israeli authorities declaring 25 of them deceased.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 66,005 people in Gaza according to the territory’s health ministry, which United Nations agencies consider a reliable source. – AFP