Hamas has released two more Israeli hostages amid further escalation of Israeli strikes on Gaza and the West Bank which killed hundreds of civilians.
The death toll in Gaza passes 5,000, according to Gaza's health officials, of which 40 percent are children.
Israeli hostages Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, were released on Monday, days after Hamas released two American women on Friday.
Cooper and Lifshitz were taken hostage from their home, near the Gaza border, amid the Hamas attack on Israel which killed 1400 Israelis on Oct 7.
Cooper, Lifshitz and their husbands were among 222 hostages taken by Hamas that day, but their husbands were not released.
Al Jazeera reported the women were released at the Rafah border, crossing into Egypt.
The release was mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to the ICRC and a message posted to a Hamas-affiliated Telegram channel, US broadcaster CBS News reported.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said the women were handed over to the Israeli Defence Forces and are now resting at the Tel Aviv Hospital after being reunited with family members.
A video released by Hamas' Al Qassam Brigade showed the women speaking to armed men, who gave them drinks and biscuits before they were released to Red Cross workers.
One of the women shook the hand of one of the armed men and bid him "salam" before she entered a waiting ambulance.
According to the Times of Israel, the women are peace activists who regularly transported patients from Gaza to hospitals across Israel for medical treatments.
More strikes
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes, including in northern Gaza's al-Shati refugee camp and southern Khan Younis have killed at least 436 Palestinians in the last 24 hours, Al Jazeera reported.
Israeli forces have also raided several cities in the occupied West Bank, which is not governed by Hamas.
The IDF arrested a senior leader of Hamas, Adnan Hamarsheh, in the occupied West Bank during a raid on his home, according to several news reports.
Repeat calls for safe passage
The United Nations said 35 of its staff working to aid Palestine refugees have been killed in the strikes, while 18 others are injured.
This comes as the World Health Organization repeated its calls for a "sustained safe passage" for medical essentials to pass through and for fuel to keep health facilities open.
"The largest medical facility in Gaza, Shifa Hospital, is now treating around 5,000 patients, many times beyond its normal figure of around 700," the UN reported.
It added that 34 trucks with aid have entered the conflict area over the weekend, but this is a fragment of the 100 trucks a day Gaza received pre-conflict.
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said that fuel is running out in Gaza and without fuel, “there will be no water, no functioning hospitals and bakeries” and this will "further strangle the children, women and people of Gaza”.
Separately, the French news agency AFP reported that French president Emmanuel Macron will call for the creation of a Palestinian state when he visits Israel tomorrow.
His office said he will also call for "resumption of a genuine peace process" and "halting the colonisation" of the West Bank by Israeli settlers.
At the same time he will "show solidarity with Israel" against "terrorist groups", the AFP reported.- Mkini
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