It is believed that at least two of the six American hostages still held in Gaza are alive — Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, who grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut, and Edan Alexander, 19, from Tenafly, New Jersey. Four other Americans are believed to have been killed in captivity.

Even in war, branding applies. Israel and Hamas are engaged in a parallel battle of optics despite a ceasefire that took effect Jan. 19 after more than a year of devastating war.

Hamas has agreed to release 33 Israeli hostages as part of a cease-fire agreement with Israel that has brought a pause to more than 15 months of fighting.On Saturday, the militant group freed the first American to be released in the latest truce,