Hamas announced it has “lost contact” with fighters holding Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander in Gaza after an Israeli strike. The ceasefire proposal for his release was rejected by Hamas, which warned that remaining hostages would return in coffins if Israel continued its military actions. Since the renewed offensive began, over 1,630 people have died, contributing to a total of 51,000 casualties in 18 months of conflict, which started with Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.