The cruel launch of a Hamas propaganda video on Saturday shows signs of life for the last hostage of the United States, Edan Alexander, but also reaches the beginning of Easter, mocking the Jewish holidays with the theme of freedom.
Alexander, the American Israeli soldier of New Jersey, says in the three -minute video that he is a hero of captivity for 551 days, indicating that he was recently filmed.
Alexander, 21, was as a hostage of tasks on October 7, 2023 Duration Hamas’ attack against Israel.
“When you feel to mark Easter, remember that this is not a freedom party as pulmonary as EDAN and the other 58 hostages are not at home,” Alexander’s family said in a statement published by the hostages and the forum of missing families, Liany Dayyypemming the Israelit.
The family authorized the publication of a fixed image of Alexander, but asked the Israeli media not to share the last video.
Since the war, Hamas has routinely launched propaganda videos or Israeli hostages.
The release of the video also occurs when IDF troops continue to exercise growing control in Gaza.
The military entered the strategic city of Rafah, a last setback from Hamas, from both sides of the Morag corridor, cutting the center of neighboring Khan Younis.
The Israeli forces converge overnight, according to the reports, successfully capture the entire corridor and surround the city, which is bordered by Egypt to the south.
“Duration last week and a half in which the FDI forces have leg maneuvers in the area, the doses of terrorists have eliminated the bone, the underground hiding places and the terrorist infrastructures of Hamas have destroyed the bone, and the siege leg of the siege of complete Rafah.” The army. The army. The army.
The IDF is now within parts of Rafah in which he had not been able to enter the legs, the military said, and plans to control the region that extends from Egypt to the outskirts of Khan Younis while it seems to increase the pressure on the hoses of the insurance. Only 24 of the hostages believe they will still be alive.
Israel will intensify and expand its offensive to other parts of Gaza, even in the north, Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Saturday.
The offensive was aimed at “crushing and cleaning the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure” while expanding Israeli security areas, Katz added.
“I call Gaza residents to act now to eliminate Hamas and return to all hostages,” he said.
The army discovered a Tunnel Hamas de kilometers under a school in Rafah, with an entrance located in the recreation courtyard of a nursery, he announced on Friday.
The members of the Specialized Engineering Unit, Yahalom, discovered that the tunnel-booby trapped with explosives aimed at a “central axis” for Hamas.
At least 11 terrorists who participated in the October 7 attack have been killed since the IDF ordered civil evacuations and began their raid in Gaza on April 2, according to the military.
The military cushioning zone has expanded almost two miles around the border of Gaza since Israel finished the stop the fire on March 18, with Rafah now turning the southernmost border. The military controls about 50% of the enclave.
Earl this week, President Trump told reporters: “We are approaching to approach [the hostages] Back. “
“We are dealing with Israel, we are dealing with Hamas, and it is an unpleasant group,” Duration said a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, also said: “A very serious agreement is taking shape,” he reports according to Israeli news reports.
“It’s a matter of days,” Witkoff added.
And, according to the reports, the Egyptian mediators with Hamas to continue the ceasefire negotiations on Saturday and exchanged drafts of an agreement with Israel a day before.