Hamas 'loses contact with hostages' amid IDF bombardment as leaders suggest ceasefire is close
The terror group's military wing asked Israeli forces to stop aerial bombardment in Gaza City to allow them to try and find the hostages
Hamas says it has 'lost contact' with two hostages after Israeli bombardment of Gaza City in recent days.
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The military wing of the proscribed terror group said on Sunday that "massive military operations and heavy bombardment" in the Shabura and Tal al-Hawa neighbourhoods had led them to lose contact with the Israeli hostages.
In a statement, Hamas asked Israeli forces to cease airstrikes for 24 hours because "the lives of the prisoners are in real danger".
They further asked that Israeli ground forces "advance immediately south to Street 8" to allow an attempted rescue of the hostages by Hamas.
The families of the hostages have asked that the names of those involved not be published.
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Israeli sources suggest there are few living hostages still in Gaza City.
The supposed loss of contact comes amid intense discussions around ending hostilities involving US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - who are due to meet at the White House on Monday.
Reports are swirling that a ceasefire is imminent in the war in Gaza - with potential for the release of all hostages on the table for negotiations.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper believes an agreement could finally bring an end to two years of conflict and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed thousands of lives.
Ms Cooper, who has just returned from a UN summit, said leaders had “reached a moment where the world wants to end this war” after President Trump also indicated a deal was close.
She urged the Israeli government to “urgently change course” from its military onslaught in Gaza, after Mr Netanyahu told the UN his country “must finish the job".
Despite reportedly being one of the ministers who privately pushed Sir Keir Starmer to recognise the Palestinian state, Ms Cooper repeated the government’s position not to label the military offensive as genocide due to legal process.
Speaking to The Guardian before the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Ms Cooper said: “I feel like there is a consensus, a real, huge consensus building, and there was real energy and determination [at the UN] around peace. I think we’ve reached a moment where the world wants to end this war.”
She added that a ceasefire, the restoration of humanitarian aid and the release of all the hostages was the “beginning of the process,” which she admitted was “fragile” and contained “many obstacles".
“We can’t pretend this isn’t incredibly hard, and how long the crisis has been going on makes it challenging,” she said.