CAIRO: Hamas’s military wing said Sunday it had lost contact with two Israeli hostages in Gaza City and urged Israel to pause operations so its fighters could locate them. The Al-Qassam Brigades called on the Israeli military to withdraw troops from the Sabra and Tel al-Hawa districts, southeast of Gaza City’s centre, and suspend air operations for 24 hours from 1500 GMT.
The fate of the hostages carries significant weight in Israel and could overshadow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday.
The Israeli military did not respond directly to Hamas’s appeal but signalled it had no plans to halt its advance. On Sunday, it ordered residents of several parts of Gaza City to evacuate.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry reported that at least 77 people had been killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.
