Hamas releases two hostages, the families: We hope this is just the beginning (VIDEO)

2023-10-23 23:19:39Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Hamas releases two hostages, the families: We hope this is just the beginning
Nurit Cooper and Yohved Lefsic

Hamas announced this evening the release of two more female hostages, who were kidnapped during the October 7 attack on Israeli soil and have since been held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Israeli channel Channel 12, they are 79-year-old Nurit Cooper and 85-year-old Yohved Lefsic, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, while their husbands remain hostages.

Egypt's AlQahera News channel released footage of their release while the two women were in ambulances at the Rafah border crossing.

At the same time, the Egyptian news agency underlined that "Egypt's diplomatic efforts for the release of the two women" held hostage in the Gaza Strip were successfully finalized.

Daniel Lefsic, the grandson of Johved Lefsic, said that he and his family are excited and happy that his grandmother is coming back.

"We just hope that she is well, her health is good and we are waiting to see her", he emphasized, with a big smile on his face.

"We hope that this is just the beginning for the release of all the hostages," he added.

Abu Ubaydah, a spokesman for Hamas' armed wing, said earlier that the release of the two hostages was decided on humanitarian and medical grounds, thanks to the mediation of Qatar and Egypt. "The enemy had refused to accept them last Friday," Abu Ubaidah claimed, repeating a claim Israel had dismissed as "false propaganda."

For its part, the International Committee of the Red Cross emphasized in a statement that it "facilitated the release of two other hostages by transporting them out of Gaza this evening."


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