2 More Hostages Released By Hamas Read Top Updates

By- Srishti Verma

Following mediation by Qatar and Egypt, the two women were released for "compelling humanitarian" grounds, according to the armed branch of Hamas.

A few days after two American ladies, Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan, were released, they were brought to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

Hamas may free 50 more hostages. They stated that Red Cross personnel were en route to Gaza to free the dual-national hostages.

The number of confirmed hostages by Tel Aviv has now reached 222. In spite of former US President Barack Obama's warning the Israeli army claimed it was preparing for "unrelenting attacks" to destroy Hamas.

Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz toldmedia that the prisoners would not cause a delay in a potential ground invasion of Gaza and that every effort will be made to free the hostages. 

Hamas has killed 1,400 people in the worst-ever attack in the nation's 75-year history, Israel said.

Gaza's health ministry said the death count in the Strip has surged to over 5,000 with the Israel military saying that it had conducted over 300 new strikes in 24 hours. Death count includes over 2,000 children.

The European Union is considering a call for a humanitarian pause to the Israel-Hamas war, with the US warning that a Gaza ceasefire would benefit Hamas.

A ceasefire would "give Hamas the ability to rest, to refit, and to get ready to continue launching terrorist attacks against Israel", State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

President Joe Biden said that any discussions about a Gaza ceasefire could only take place if Hamas frees all hostages seized from Israel in its October 7 attack.