Hamas releases two more female captives on humanitarian grounds

The military wing of Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says it has released two more female captives on humanitarian grounds.

Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades, made the announcement in a post on his Telegram channel on Monday, saying, "We decided to release them on humanitarian and health grounds.”

Al-Qassam Brigades also said in a statement that the two Israeli women, identified as Nurit Yitzhak and Yochved Lifshitz, were released through Egyptian mediation, the Palestinian Information Center reported.

The statement added that these were the same two captives that Israeli authorities had previously refused to accept receiving them, accusing the occupying regime of ignoring the situation of its captives.

“We decided to release them for compelling humanitarian and medical reasons despite the occupation committing more than eight violations of the procedures that were agreed upon with mediators,” the statement said.

The official Egyptian news agency said on Monday evening that the two elderly female detainees, who were released by al-Qassam Brigades, had arrived at the Egyptian Rafah crossing.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had also helped with the case and the transportation of the women out of Gaza.

The Hamas movement had originally decided to free the two elderly women on Saturday. The spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades said in a short statement back then that “the occupation regime refused to receive them.”

The new development came after last Friday when the brigades freed two American detainees for “humanitarian reasons” through mediation of Qatari officials.

MG