Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, announced Saturday evening that it carried out a multi-stage "compound ambush" against Israeli forces east of Gaza City. The operation reportedly caused Israeli casualties, though the group did not specify numbers.
Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for the Brigades, said in a Telegram statement that the ambush resulted in the retrieval of the body of a fighter assigned to guard American-Israeli detainee Edan Alexander. The fate of Alexander remains unknown.
Qassam forces also said they targeted a Merkava IV tank and a D9 military bulldozer with two Yassin-105 shells, setting both vehicles ablaze.
This is the first time the Brigades have announced a "compound ambush" since the Israeli military resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18.
In a follow-up post, Abu Ubaida stated, "We managed to recover the body of a martyr who was responsible for protecting prisoner Edan Alexander. The fate of the prisoner and the rest of the fighters holding him remains unclear."
Edan Alexander’s father, Adi Alexander, urged the U.S. to enter direct talks to secure the release of both living and deceased detainees. His 19 years old son's case gained attention after former President Donald Trump called for his release as part of any upcoming prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel.
According to media leaks, Israel demanded that Edan Alexander be released on the first day of any agreed prisoner exchange, as a goodwill gesture to the United States, without having to the release of Palestinian detainees in return.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that one soldier from the Bedouin city of Rahat was killed in a clash with Palestinian fighters. Additionally, a tracker and two female soldiers were seriously wounded in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza.
This follows a previous Qassam statement that it had lost contact with the group detaining Alexander after an Israeli strike on their location.
On Saturday, the Qassam Brigades released a video of another Israeli detainee, Elkana Bohbot, appearing distraught while speaking to his family. He pleaded for pressure on the Israeli government to secure his and others’ release. The video marks the third appearance of Bohbot since the war resumed.
Netanyahu rejects partial deals
In a press conference Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas’s latest offer of a comprehensive ceasefire and prisoner swap. "Allowing Hamas to remain in control of Gaza would be a victory for Iran and a defeat for Israel," he said.
"Hamas rejected our last proposal, and their demands would let them rearm," Netanyahu added. He criticized domestic voices calling for an end to the war, accusing them of echoing Hamas propaganda.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan and Channel 13 cut live coverage of the press conference due to Netanyahu’s attacks on opposition leaders.
Meanwhile, protests broke out east of Tel Aviv Saturday night, demanding a hostage deal. Organizers called for further demonstrations near Gaza on Sunday.
Ceasefire talks falter, violence escalates
A U.S.-Egyptian-Qatari mediation had brokered a ceasefire in January, with the first phase beginning on Jan. 19. Israel was expected to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor by the end of that phase, but failed to do so and did not initiate the second phase.
Instead, Israel pushed for an extension and backed a proposal from U.S. envoy Steve Wietkoff for a Ramadan ceasefire. Hamas rejected the plan and called for implementation of the second phase.
In early March, Israel halted humanitarian aid into Gaza following the end of the first phase, prompting Hamas to call it a "cheap form of blackmail" and a war crime. The Israeli military resumed its assault on March 18.
Hamas also rejected an Israeli proposal conditioning an end to the war on the disarmament of resistance factions and a shortened ceasefire of 45 days instead of 70. The group reiterated that "resistance weapons are tied to the existence of occupation."
Dozens killed in Gaza
At least 63 Palestinians were killed from Saturday into early Sunday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Over 90 others, including children, were injured in Israeli strikes.
Heavy bombardment targeted neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City, particularly the Al-Tuffah area, where tanks reached Al-Sourani hilltop, a strategic position overlooking dense civilian areas.
Residents said tanks opened fire on homes, forcing people to transport the wounded using carts due to ambulance inaccessibility. The tanks' elevated position exposed the entire Al-Tuffah district, parts of Al-Daraj, and areas of Sheikh Radwan to direct fire.
At Gaza Baptist Hospital, recently reopened after previous attacks, five victims were received, while more wounded were transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital.
In central Gaza, artillery struck north of Al-Nuseirat refugee camp and flattened residential buildings in the Netzarim Axis. Ten casualties, including children and women, were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, 27 bodies were received at Nasser Hospital in the past 24 hours. Over 45 others were wounded, many from strikes in the Al-Mawasi area, where Israel targeted six displaced persons’ tents, a cart driver, and two homes.
