California man's mother among 2 hostages freed by Hamas amid war
The International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the release of two hostages this week, both of them women.
LEARN MOREPosted: 4:01 p.m. EDT Oct 23, 2023
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed on Monday that it facilitated the release of two hostages held in Gaza.
The hostages were identified by Israeli media as Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, according to The Associated Press.
"Our role as a neutral intermediary makes this work possible & we are ready to facilitate any future release," the ICRC said in a statement.
The release of Lifshitz and Cooper comes just days after Hamas released two other hostages. Judith Raanan and her teenage daughter Natalie Raanan made their way back into Israel on Friday.
Hamas reportedly took about 200 people hostage during its surprise Oct. 7 attack on Israel that left more than 1,000 others dead.
The Associated Press reported that the husbands of Lifshitz and Cooper were among those taken on Oct. 7. Hamas said it released the women on humanitarian grounds. The whereabouts of the men are unknown.
Israel has been retaliating against Hamas since the Oct. 7 attacks, bombarding Gaza with airstrikes ahead of an expected ground invasion. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, says approximately 5,000 people have been killed.
