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.

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.

Hamas-led militants have freed three more hostages from the Gaza Strip after more than 15 months in captivity.

American-Israeli Keith Siegel and two other hostages being held in Gaza were released to the Red Cross by Hamas in part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Siegel’s release marks the first American to be released since the ceasefire agreement was reached last month.

Yarden Bibas, father of Hamas' youngest hostage, has been released after more than 480 days in captivity, but his wife and two sons remain in Gaza. Their fates are still unknown.

Yarden Bibas, an Israeli father who was kidnapped by Hamas along with his wife and two young children, has faced an “unbearable reality” after being released by the terror group without his family.

Yarden Bibas was released Saturday in the latest hostage swap, exacerbating concerns about his wife, Shiri, and the couple’s young children, Kfir and Ariel, who were also kidnapped on Oct.