Hamas released two Israeli hostages — Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79 — into Israel Defense Forces custody Monday, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. The Israeli government thanked the Egyptian government and the International Committee for the Red Cross, while The Washington Post reported that Qatar was also involved in the mediation efforts. The women’s husbands are still being held by Hamas, the Israeli government said. Their release comes as the Biden administration is preparing for the potential evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Americans living in the Middle East if the war escalates, according to four officials familiar with the U.S. government’s contingency planning, The Post reported. That plan is considered a worst-case scenario, the officials said.
