Jerusalem: Hamas has released two woman hostages for “compelling humanitarian” reasons following mediation by Qatar and Egypt.
The two hostages have been identified as Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz. Video broadcast on Egyptian state television showed the women on stretchers inside ambulances, speaking with people who appeared to be health workers, near the Rafah crossing, on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, NBC News reported.
Stating that it had “facilitated” the release of the two captives and transported them out of Gaza on Monday night local time, the International Committee of the Red Cross, in a statement posted on X, said, “We hope that they will soon be back with their loved ones.”
The release came three days after two American women, Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan, were freed.
While Tel Aviv has increased the number of hostages it has confirmed to 222 people, media reports said Hamas might release another 50 hostages. Red Cross representatives are reportedly on their way to Gaza to take out the hostages with dual nationalities, NDTV reported citing reports.
Meanwhile, Israeli official said that fuel will not be allowed into Gaza even if Hamas releases all the hostages.
While Hamas has killed 1,400 people in the worst-ever attack on Israel, Gaza’s health ministry put the death count in the Strip at over 5,000, including over 2,000 children, amid the ongoing air strikes.
