Two elderly Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas in a deal The Independent understands was brokered by Qatar and Egypt.
The two detainees are Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Yitzhak, 79, both kidnapped from the same kibbutz – Nir Oz – near the border with Gaza on 7 October during a cross-border attack that left 1,400 dead and more than 200 people kidnapped and taken to Gaza. Both women are elderly and in need of medical care. Their husbands, who were taken with them, remain in Gaza.
