In a significant turn of events on the 15th day of the Israel-Hamas conflict, two American citizens, who had been held captive in Gaza, were successfully released by Hamas. Here are the top ten updates on this developing situation.

Hostage Release: Hamas has officially released Judith and Natalie Raanan, both American citizens. This mother and daughter duo had been taken captive during the attack on southern Israel on October 7. The announcement was made by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday.

Diplomatic Efforts: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak embarked on a diplomatic mission, meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo. The discussions revolved around the urgency of permitting humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and reducing civilian casualties in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. This visit was part of Prime Minister Sunak's broader Middle East diplomatic tour.

Biden's Funding Request: U.S. President Joe Biden has sought more than $105 billion from Congress as part of a package intended to provide security assistance for addressing the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel. President Biden emphasized that this request aims to mitigate the global humanitarian consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Hamas' attacks on Israel, including extending humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

Saudi Involvement: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, stressed the vital need for de-escalation in the Israel-Hamas conflict. This was reported by the Saudi state news agency SPA.

UN Plea: During a visit to the Egypt-Gaza border crossing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres passionately appealed for the movement of aid trucks into the blockaded Gaza Strip. This call came on the heels of rising optimism regarding a potential diplomatic breakthrough in the region.

Repatriation of Nepalese Students: An official from the Foreign Ministry announced that the remains of four out of the ten Nepalese students who tragically lost their lives during a surprise attack by Hamas at an Israeli Kibbutz farm will be repatriated to Nepal on Sunday. This incident occurred on October 7, resulting in the loss of ten Nepalese students.

Urgent Hospital Evacuation: The Palestine Red Crescent Society (RCS) issued an urgent plea for the immediate evacuation of Al-Quds Hospital in northern Gaza to prevent a catastrophic incident similar to what occurred at Al-Ahli Hospital.

Hamas Attack Motive: U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his belief that the recent brutal attack by Hamas on Israel, which occurred two weeks ago, was intended to disrupt the warming relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Ground Invasion Question: The White House clarified that President Biden, in response to a reporter's question, indicated that Israel should postpone a potential ground invasion of Gaza until more hostages could be evacuated. His response was a clear "yes."

Humanitarian Toll: According to the Palestinian health ministry, a minimum of 4,137 Palestinians, including hundreds of children, have lost their lives, and 13,000 have sustained injuries in Gaza. The United Nations reported that over one million people have been displaced from their homes due to the ongoing conflict.

This release of American hostages marks a significant development in the Israel-Hamas conflict, with diplomatic efforts continuing to address the humanitarian and geopolitical aspects of the crisis.