Hamas releases two US hostages after Qatari mediation efforts

• Source tells Reuters two hostages freed by Hamas are with International Committee of the Red Cross
• Biden expects aid to start reaching Gaza in next 24 to 48 hours

Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades has released two US hostages — a mother and her daughter, Judith and Natalie Raanan— "for humanitarian reasons" in response to Qatari mediation efforts, its spokesman Abu Ubaida said in a statement Friday.
Abu Ubaida said they released the citizens "for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by (President Joe) Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless."
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Friday said that the release of US hostages from Gaza comes "after many days on continuous communication" with all parties.
Qatar hopes dialogue will lead to the "release of all civilian hostages from every nationality," foreign ministry spokesperson HE Dr Majed al-Ansari added.
The freed mother and daughter, who were taken from Nahal Oz kibbutz, near the Gaza border, were on their way to a military base in central Israel, a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
Media reports in the US said they were from Evanston, an Illinois suburb of Chicago.
Hamas says it has 200 hostages and that 50 more are held by other armed groups in the enclave.
The group did not give detail how or when the American hostages were released.
The Israeli military said earlier Friday that most of those abducted to Gaza were still alive.
Israel's Channel 13 News said Israel had confirmed the release of two hostages but gave no further details.
An Israeli army statement earlier in the day said a majority of the hostages were alive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's adviser Mark Regev would not elaborate on the statement, but told CNN: "We've said what we know, they're alive."