Hamas frees 2 hostages; talks for release of 50 more stuck on fuel deliveries deal

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Hamas set free two more civilian hostages on Monday, but negotiations over a possible release of a group of 50 captives stumbled over the militant group's demand that Israel allow fuel deliveries into Gaza, according to officials familiar with the talks.

Hamas said it was releasing the two hostages on humanitarian grounds. Egyptian officials confirmed that the two hostages were released at Gaza's Rafah border crossing.

On Tuesday, Israel said it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day, killing Hamas commanders, hitting militants as they were preparing to launch rockets into Israel and striking command centres and a Hamas tunnel shaft.

The previous day, Israel reported 320 strikes. Witnesses and health officials said many of the airstrikes hit residential buildings, some of them in southern Gaza where Israel had told civilians to take shelter.

An overnight strike hit a fourstory residential building in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 32 people and wounding scores of others, according to survivors.

The United Nations urged Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, trapped in a humanitarian crisis after two weeks of intense Israeli attacks, saying the aid let in so far met a tiny fraction of the needs, and fuel, still blocked, was crucial.

"We are on our knees asking for that sustained, scaled up, protected humanitarian operation," said Rick Brennan, WHO regional emergencies director for Eastern Mediterranean Region.