Hamas releases two Israeli hostages

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Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, was held hostage in Gaza for more than two weeks. Associated Press/Photo by Ariel Schalit

The Palestinian terrorist group on Monday night freed two elderly Israeli women they kidnapped during the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and her neighbor Nurit Cooper, 79, were reunited with their families at a hospital in Tel Aviv. They reported they were held in a tunnel system in Gaza with other hostages. About 220 more hostages remained in Hamas custody, including the women’s husbands, who were taken during the attack that killed more than 1,400 people.

How are Israel’s allies responding to the war? World leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, have called on Israel to delay a planned ground invasion so hostages can be secured and humanitarian aid can be delivered. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, where he spoke in support of Israel’s fight against terrorism. He added there were risks of the war becoming a regional conflict. He proposed that the international coalition fighting against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria could also fight against Hamas.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere and Sharon Dierberger’s report in World Tour about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.