Gaza, 20 October 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The military wing of Hamas claims to have released two hostages with US citizenship from the Gaza Strip, although no official confirmation from Israel or the US was forthcoming on Friday evening.

Several media outlets, citing unnamed sources, reported that the hostages had been handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza. The Israeli military did not initially comment.

In "response to Qatar's efforts," a mother and her daughter were said to have been released "for humanitarian reasons," the al-Qassam Brigades statement said.

Terrorists on behalf of the militant Islamist Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, launched a large-scale attack on civilians in Israel on October 7. More than 1,400 people were killed in the massacre and in the following days.

According to the Israeli army, at least 203 others were forcibly taken to the Gaza Strip, including several Germans. According to the army, most of the hostages are still alive.