Two women held captive by Hamas in Gaza have been released, according to the Palestinian group and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
A spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas said the two captives were released following mediation from Qatar and Egypt.
In a statement on Monday, spokesperson Abu Obeida said on the group’s Telegram channel that the captives had been released for “humanitarian reasons and poor health grounds.”
The release of the two hostages, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper, was confirmed by the ICRC.
“We hope they will soon be back with their loved ones,” it said on X, formerly Twitter.
Hamas seized more than 200 people, including Israelis and dual nationals, during an assault on southern Israel on October 7. The Palestinian group killed more than 1,400 people, many of them civilians, during the attack, according to Israeli authorities.
