Hamas released two more hostages from Gaza on “humanitarian and poor health grounds”. Nurit Cooper [also known as Nurit Yitzhak], 79, and Yocheved Lifschitz, 85, who were kidnapped along with their husbands from kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border, on 7 October, are now in the care of the Israeli military, the office of Israeli prime minister confirmed, writes The Guardian.

The Israeli Defense Forces [IDF] said it believed Hamas was still holding 222 hostages in Gaza.

Reports from Israel suggested that the release of about 50 hostages held by Hamas could be imminent. The Tel Aviv news channel I24 reported “sources within Gaza” as saying “the finalization of a potential deal” brokered by Qatar was under way for the release of about 50 abductees who hold dual citizenship. Officials of Red Cross are believed to on their way to receive the group, I24 said, and the release could be concluded “in the hours ahead” if there are no obstacles.

There were reports of an Israeli strike on Gaza’s Al-Shati camp late on Monday. “Many of the casualties are children and women who are still under rubble”, the Hamas-run health ministry said.

The ministry also said at least 5,087 Palestinians, including 2,055 children, have been killed in Israeli strikes since 7 October, with another 15,273 people wounded. The ministry put the death toll in the past 24 hours at 436, including 182 children. It said most of the fatalities had occurred in the southern Gaza Strip, to where Israel’s military has ordered Palestinians to evacuate. The claims have not been independently verified.

Israel’s military said on Monday that ground forces mounted limited raids into the Gaza Strip overnight to fight Palestinian gunmen, and that airstrikes were being focused on sites where Hamas were assembling to attack any wider Israeli invasion. The IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said: “During the night there were raids by tank and infantry forces. These raids are raids that kill squads of terrorists who are preparing for our next stage in the war. These are raids that go deep.”

A third convoy of aid trucks entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt on Monday. On Saturday and Sunday 34 trucks passed through. The UN said aid arriving so far was just 4% of the daily average before the hostilities and that about 100 trucks would be needed daily to meet essential needs in Gaza.