The armed wing of the Palestinian Hamas terrorist group said on Monday it had released two female civilian captives in response to Egyptian-Qatari mediation efforts. Several moments later Israel said it could confirm that two hostages were released "without coordination with us." The two are Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Kuper, who are in their 80s. Their husbands remain in captivity.
Egyptian TV station Extra News broadcast footage late on Monday that it said showed two women freed by Hamas being transferred from a Red Cross vehicle to ambulances at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The women were shown being helped into the ambulances and onto beds, awaiting transfer.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the armed wing, said on Telegram it had secured the release of the detainees "despite the enemy's refusal to accept them since last Friday and their neglect of the issue of our prisoners".
"We decided to release them for humanitarian and poor health grounds ... Despite that, the enemy refused to receive them last Friday," the statement added.
The armed wing released two Americans on Friday, nearly two weeks after Hamas gunmen abducted them and dozens of others near Gaza.
A Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday said that the release of US hostages from Gaza came "after many days of continuous communication" with all parties.
Israel pounded hundreds of targets in Gaza from the air on Monday as its soldiers fought Hamas terrorists during raids.
The Israeli military said it had struck more than 320 targets in Gaza over 24 hours, including a tunnel housing Hamas fighters, dozens of command and lookout posts, and mortar and anti-tank missile launcher positions.
The Israeli bombardment was triggered by a devastating Oct. 7 cross-border assault on Israeli communities by Hamas terrorists who killed 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostages – the bloodiest episode in a single day since the state of Israel was founded 75 years ago.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
