Palestinian militant group, Hamas, announced on Monday that they have released two more women hostages who were abducted from Israel during the October 7 attacks.
According to AFP, the release was facilitated for “compelling humanitarian” reasons following mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt, as stated by the Islamist group’s military wing.
While there hasn’t been immediate confirmation from Israeli authorities, reports in Israeli media suggest that the freed women have been transported to the Rafah border crossing, which connects Gaza to Egypt.
This development comes after the release of two American women (a mother and daughter) on the previous Friday.
It’s important to note that Israel has now confirmed a total of 222 people taken hostage when Hamas militants crossed the border, launching attacks on kibbutz communities, towns, and military bases in southern Israel.
This series of attacks resulted in a significant loss of life, with Israeli authorities reporting approximately 1,400 casualties, making it one of the deadliest incidents in Israel’s history.
In response, Israel launched a military campaign against Hamas, leading to over 5,000 casualties from air attacks on Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Hamas has accused Israel of initially refusing to accept the release of the two hostages and violating previously agreed-upon arrangements with mediators.
