Officials report that the Palestinian faction Hamas has said it has lost contact with several groups responsible for overseeing the lives of Israeli hostages. The claim comes through a state television outlet, Al-Qahera Al-Ekhbariya.
The broadcast notes that the movement has halted communications with some entities tasked with safeguarding the hostages held by Hamas-linked factions.
At present, the channel indicates that the fate of the hostages remains unknown.
The report also indicates that reasons for the disruption in lines of communication with Hamas-affiliated groups have not been disclosed.
Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested that Israel had begun seeking help from Turkey to secure the release of Hamas-hostages.
The broader regional crisis intensified after thousands of Hamas militants crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, abducting hundreds of people in Israeli towns and transferring them to areas under Hamas control. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the country is at war, and on October 27 he announced an expansion of the ground operation in Gaza.
There were reports of a 120-member Russian group that had previously evacuated from Gaza.