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The Hamas militant group has released two additional hostages.
Israeli media has identified the pair of Israeli nationals as 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, and 75-year-old Nurit Cooper.
It comes just over two weeks after gunmen took more than 200 hostages near Gaza in a cross-border assault.
It brings the total number of hostages released to four.
Israel's military spokesman rear admiral Daniel Hagari says they are working around the clock to ensure the release of those renaming.
“In front of our eyes only one thing, the pictures, the faces, the children and the parents and the elderly that were taken from their families and went to Gaza, that is what is in front of our eyes, we have no regard for which passports they hold, their race, sex or religion.”
The two women were taken into the care of the International Red Cross, who confirmed their release in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
They were reportedly taken hostage with their husbands, who remain captive.
One of the women's grandsons, Daniel Lifshitz says he is happy he'll get to see his grandmother again.
“Very soon we will see her, meet her and unite with her, and we hope that this will only open a door for the rest of the captives to be released, which is most important, even more than their ((the women's)) release.”
The two women have since arrived at a hospital in Tel Aviv.
Hamas officials say the release was brokered through Egypt and Qatar.
Chief nurse Eti Uziel at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center spoke moments after their arrival.
“A few minutes ago, we received the two hostages, we were very excited. They look OK, their medical condition is OK, they speak. When we received them we brought them to their family members, the meeting was very, very moving.”
The United States has sought to advise Israel to delay its planned ground offensive to allow more hostages to be released and more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.
There are reports U-S President Joe Biden urged for this in his recent trip to Israel.
More than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population are internally displaced with food, fuel and water supplies running critically low.
White House spokesman John Kirby says while they want to see more aid reach Gaza, they haven't gone so far as to tell Israel what to do.
“We have been crystal clear with our partners in the region, including Israel, that we want to see humanitarian assistance flow. There's been no change to our posture on that. But as I think I said to Steve's question, we're not dictating military terms to the Israeli Defence Forces. They have a right and a responsibility to go after these terrorists and they're certainly going to do it in a way that they believe is appropriate to the threat. We're definitely going to support them in terms of providing the capabilities for them to continue to prosecute Hamas terrorists.”
Meanwhile, Australia's coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham says he believes the Hamas militant group's release of hostages shows they are stalling for time ahead of the Israeli military's planned ground offensive.
He told Sky News he condemns the attacks by Hamas.
“Hamas is not doing a greater humanitarian gesture by releasing just another two of 200 plus hostages. It is simply seemingly playing for time. And now ultimately, all the hostages should be released.”
In other developments, a third convoy of trucks carrying aid has arrived in Gaza.
UN spokesman for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric says fuel supplies are set to be exhausted within days.
“For the 14th consecutive day, Gaza remains under a full electricity blackout. The situation in hospital remains dire given the shortage of electricity, medicine, equipment and specialized personnel. The Shifa Hospital in Gaza, the largest in the strip, is currently treating some 5000 patients significantly over its normal capacity of 700.”
It comes as the Israeli military has launched an intense round of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, with reports a place of refuge for Palestinian civilians was among those areas targeted.
The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 5,000 Palestinians have been killed since the long-standing Israeli-Hamas conflict reignited.
Israeli officials say more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed.
