Yocheved Lifshitz (pix by Jewish Chronicle).

One of the two Israeli hostages released from Hamas custody described being kidnapped from her kibbutz and taken to a tunnel in Gaza. “I went through hell,” Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, said Tuesday.

The humanitarian crisis is deepening for the 2.2 million people trapped inside Gaza, with a doctor at the largest hospital warning it “will become a mass grave” if fuel runs out while a top Israeli official said no fuel would be allowed to enter because it could be stolen by Hamas.

At least 2,000 children have been killed in Gaza over 17 days, according to one aid agency. They are among the more than 5,000 people killed in the Israel bombardment, according to Palestinian health officials.

Israel’s defence minister said Monday the country is preparing for a “multilateral operation” against Hamas from the “air, ground, and sea.” Israel has vowed to wipe out the Islamist group that controls Gaza in response to its deadly October 7 attacks.

Health ministry in Gaza says 704 Palestinians killed in Israeli air raids in last 24 hours.

Two elderly women released by Hamas have been reunited with their families.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron, in Tel Aviv, suggested the Western coalition fighting ISIL could turn its guns on Hamas. He also called for “decisive relaunch” of the Palestinian peace process.

Iranian FM says Palestinian groups in Gaza are acting without any direction from Tehran after the US accuses Iran of ‘facilitating’ attacks.

At least 5,791 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while more than 1,400 people killed in Israel since October 7.

Source: CNN, Aljazeera.