The al-Qassam Brigade, a weapons group of Hamas, said the fierce Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City had kept them out of contact with the hostage positions.
The group issued a statement on September 28 demanding that the Israeli military immediately withdraw from the area south of Gaza City's 8th Street and stop the attack within 24 hours, starting at 6 p.m. the same day, so that they can conduct the search.
According to Hamas, the loss of contact occurred after Israel continuously attacked two residential areas in southern Gaza city over the weekend. Al-Qassam warned that the lives of the two hostages were at stake if Israel did not accept the request. Tel Aviv has not yet responded officially to the call, while Israeli media has repeatedly accused Hamas of using hostages as "psy war cards".
Hamas has previously said it has lost contact with a dual Israeli-American hostage, but he was released a few days later thanks to a ceasefire.
The situation in Gaza continues to escalate. The Israeli military said fighters attacked about 140 targets over the course of 24 hours, while infantry expanded its operations in Sabra, Tel al-Hawa, Sheikh Radwan and al- naser districts.
The Gaza Health Agency said 77 people were killed on September 28, bringing the total number of deaths since the conflict broke out to more than 66,000, including many women and children.
The conflict arose from Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,219 people, mostly civilians. Of the 251 hostages detained, there are currently 47 in Gaza, with about 20 believed to be alive.
Speaking at the United Nations last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that he will continue the campaign against Hamas until "the task is completed", despite increasing international pressure on the number of civilian casualties.
