Daijiworld Media Network - Gaza

Gaza, Sep 29: The military wing of Hamas said on Sunday it had lost contact with two Israeli hostages held in Gaza and urged Israel to pull back troops and suspend airstrikes for 24 hours to allow fighters to retrieve the captives. The fate of the hostages, which carries significant domestic weight in Israel, comes ahead of a scheduled meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump on Monday.

Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades called on the Israeli military to withdraw from the Sabra and Tel Al-Hawa districts in southeast Gaza City and halt flights over the area from 1500 GMT for 24 hours.

The Israeli military did not respond directly to the request but reaffirmed it had no plans to halt operations, ordering residents in parts of Gaza City to evacuate for their safety.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry reported that at least 77 people were killed by Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours.