Hamas has announced the release of two more women taken hostage during the group's attacks on Israel in early October.
Hamas' military wing announced on October 23 that it had released two elderly women, Israeli citizens Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, "on compelling humanitarian grounds" after negotiations with Qatar and Egypt.
Israeli media reported that the two were taken to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, where the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) received them and took them out of the Gaza Strip. However, their husbands and children are still being held by Hamas.
"We are a neutral intermediary involved in facilitating this work and stand ready to facilitate any future releases," the ICRC said. "We hope they will soon be reunited with their loved ones."
Hamas released two Israeli civilians on October 23. Video : Hamas
The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, released a video on the same day showing members of the group leading two hostages to a waiting area, offering them bread and water. Hamas members then handed them over to the ICRC representative, with one hostage turning around to shake hands with the Hamas gunman before leaving.
Hamas has so far released four people who were captured during the October 7 attack on Israeli territory. Hamas last week released two US citizens, Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan, on humanitarian grounds after Qatari efforts to negotiate. Israeli officials said on October 23 that Hamas was holding 222 hostages, not including the two Americans.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the military had launched localized attacks in the Gaza Strip to "identify and search for any information about the hostages".
He declined to comment on how many Hamas hostages would be released. "We are doing everything possible to free all hostages, regardless of their nationality," Rear Admiral Hagari said.
Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, Times of Israel )
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