Hamas releases 2 more Israeli hostages

Hamas released two Israeli women held hostage in Gaza on Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed.

The release of the two hostages, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper, was confirmed by the ICRC after Hamas released a statement earlier about the release. 

The two women, along with their husbands, were taken from their homes in the kibbutz of Nir Oz near the Gaza border in Hamas's Oct. 7 rampage through towns of southern Israel. Their husbands were not released.

"We are very emotional and happy," said Daniel Lifshitz, grandson of Yocheved Lifshitz.

"We hope that this will only open a door for the rest of the captives to be released, which is most important, even more than their release."

In a statement, Hamas said it had released the women for humanitarian reasons.

Abu Ubaida, a Hamas spokesperson, said Monday in a Telegram post that the militant group 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 post said.

A statement from the Israeli prime minister's office later on Monday said that the women haved been handed over to the country's military and are on their way to a medical facility in Israel.

The statement also vowed that Israel will "do everything possible" to ensure that the husbands of the two women freed are also released.

Ground offensive expected

Israel has demanded the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas. Hamas and other militants in Gaza are believed to have taken roughly 220 people, including an unconfirmed number of foreigners and dual nationals.

Hamas released two other hostages — an American mother and her teenage daughter — on Friday.

WATCH | Canadian niece of freed hostage talks to CBC's Adrienne Arsenault: 

Vancouver woman relieved after Hamas released aunt held hostage

1 year ago

Duration 2:43

Rutie Mizrahi, the niece of Yocheved Lifshitz, says she's happy and relieved that her aunt was freed by Hamas, but she is still thinking of others who are being held hostage — including her uncle, Oded Lifshitz, who she hopes will be released soon.

Israel is widely expected to launch a ground offensive in Gaza, vowing to destroy Hamas, which controls the region that Israel has been bombarding since Oct. 7 and has blockaded since 2005. The U.S. advised Israeli officials that delaying a ground offensive would give Washington more time to work with regional mediators on securing the release of more hostages taken by Hamas, according to a U.S. official.

Israeli officials said more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed — mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack earlier this month. At least 222 people were captured and taken back to Gaza, including foreigners, Israel's military said Monday, updating a previous figure.

More than 5,000 Palestinians, including some 2,000 minors and around 1,100 women, have been killed since Israel's response to the Oct. 7 attack, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said Monday. That includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week. The death toll has climbed rapidly in recent days, with the ministry reporting 436 additional deaths in just the last 24 hours.