"We facilitated the release of 2 more hostages, transporting them out of #Gaza this evening,'' the ICRC tweeted. "Our role as a neutral intermediary makes this work possible & we are ready to facilitate any future release."
The news came as the U.S. is urging Israel to delay its ground invasion of Gaza to encourage continued negotiations that could free dozens of dual-citizenship captives, according to American and Israeli officials.
The newly freed hostages, both Israeli women, went out through the Rafah crossing into Egypt, where television footage showed them getting ushered into ambulances. Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, were abducted along with their husbands from the Nir Oz kibbutz. Their husbands were not released.
In a call Monday evening with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Joe Biden welcomed the release of the two women. He emphasized the need for a continuous flow of humanitarian aid into the region, and reaffirmed his commitment to release all hostages in the conflict, according to a statement by the White House.
On Friday, Hamas freed two hostages for the first time since capturing more than 220 in an Oct. 7 rampage in Israeli territory. They are American mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan.
Asked by reporters about the possibility of a deal for Israel to declare a cease-fire in exchange for Hamas releasing more hostages, Biden said, “We should have those hostages released and then we can talk.”