Hamas militants freed 79-year-old Nurit Cooper and 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz from captivity. The women were first handed over from the guard of the Israeli military and then taken to the hospital.
The Times of Israel writes about it.
Both women were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Their husbands remain hostages in Gaza.
The Times of Israel
US President Joe Biden said that any discussions about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are possible only when Hamas releases all the hostages captured in Israel. Now it is known about 220 prisoners.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports that talks to free 50 hostages with dual citizenship have hit a roadblock, with the UN running out of fuel for trucks for just three days as Israel blocks fuel supplies to Gaza.
- On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel. As of October 22, Israel continues to prepare for a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli side claims almost 1,500 dead of its citizens, Hamas — about almost 5,000 dead Palestinians. Also, 18 Ukrainians died in this war.
- In the evening of October 13, the first units of Israeli infantry and tanks entered the Gaza Strip for a "local raid". The IDF has not yet entered Gaza. The American CNN channel, citing sources, wrote that the White House is pressuring Israel to postpone the ground invasion in order to allow negotiations for the release of new hostages.
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said on October 22 that the upcoming ground offensive in the Gaza Strip could last three months, "but it will be the last if Israel succeeds in destroying the terrorist group Hamas."