In official statements from Israeli authorities, it has been confirmed that two Israeli women held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip have been released. Reports circulating through TASS corroborate this development. In a briefing from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it was announced that Nurit Cooper, aged 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, aged 85, were freed. The announcement also identified Hamas as the terrorist organization responsible for the abduction.
Meanwhile, Hossein Amirabdollahian, the head of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, issued remarks indicating that leaders of the Palestinian Hamas movement had conveyed their readiness for a prolonged confrontation with Israel. This assertion comes amid ongoing regional diplomacy and shifting alliances in the Middle East.
On another front, a senior Israeli official told CNN on October 23 that there would be no ceasefire in Gaza, and the Israeli Defense Forces were not planning a ceasefire even as hostages were being released. The official emphasized that strategic objectives remained focused on operational moves in Gaza rather than pauses in fighting.
Concurrently, Israeli officials reported that the United States had responded to a request to permit humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. The response was described as favorable, though it was noted that the decision did not meet universal approval within Israel. The broader context reflects a tense balance between humanitarian concerns and military objectives amid an ongoing conflict.
The conflict began in the early hours of October 7, when Hamas launched thousands of rockets into Israel and proclaimed the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Militants reportedly breached Israeli territory, seizing military equipment and taking a substantial number of hostages. In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that the nation was at war.
The Israel Defense Forces launched an intervention operation named Iron Swords, with one stated aim being the collapse of Hamas’s capabilities. In the course of the operation, Israeli air forces conducted hundreds of strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. Concurrently, Israel’s National Security Council announced measures to cut off water, food, fuel, electricity, and other essential supplies to the Gaza Strip as a means of pressuring Hamas. On October 13, Israel informed the United Nations that up to 1.1 million Palestinians might be evacuated toward southern Gaza as a precautionary step ahead of a potential ground operation.
In the broader political dimension, Netanyahu reiterated a pledge to dismantle Hamas, underscoring a long-standing objective within the security agenda of successive Israeli administrations. The evolving dynamics continue to shape regional diplomacy, humanitarian corridors, and the broader trajectory of the conflict in the Israel-Gaza context.
[Note: All statements above reflect reported positions and assertions from official channels and recognized news outlets. Attribution is provided to institutional spokespeople and verified government communications where applicable.]