Two Israeli hostages, Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, have been released and handed over to the International Red Cross. The elderly women were immediately flown to a hospital in Tel Aviv for medical evaluation and are reportedly doing well. However, their husbands, Amiram Cooper, 84, and Oded Lifshitz, 83, along with more than 200 other hostages, are still being held by Hamas in Gaza. Hamas cited humanitarian reasons for releasing the women, but Israel sees it as an attempt to improve their image.

In an interview with Western media, Khaled Mashaal, a Hamas leader living in Qatar, stated that Hamas will release all civilian hostages if Israel stops its attack on Gaza. Mashaal believes that mediators, such as Qatar and Egypt, can help facilitate the release, but it can only happen if the intensity of Israel's air offensive diminishes.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Intelligence community presented raw footage to the foreign press, showing evidence of atrocities committed by Hamas, including murder, torture, and decapitation of Israeli citizens. This footage is part of Israel's effort to combat denials of Hamas's massacres.

As the release of the two hostages raises hope, the fate of the remaining hostages and the future of the Israel-Palestine conflict remain uncertain.