Hamas has released two more Israeli hostages amid further escalation of Israeli strikes on Gaza and the West Bank which killed hundreds of civilians.

The death toll in Gaza passes 5,000, according to Gaza's health officials, of which 40 percent are children.

Israeli hostages Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, were released on Monday, days after Hamas released two American women on Friday.

Cooper and Lifshitz were...