Hamas frees two Israeli women as US advises delaying ground war to allow talks on captives
Rafah (Gaza Strip)(AP): Hamas released two elderly Israeli women held hostage in Gaza on Monday, as the United States expressed increasing concern that the escalating Israel-Hamas war will spark a wider conflict in the region, including attacks on American troops.
The death toll in Gaza was rising rapidly as Israel ramped up airstrikes, flattening residential buildings in what it says was preparation for an eventual ground assault.
The United States advised Israel to delay an expected ground invasion to allow time to negotiate the release of more hostages.
A third small aid convoy from Egypt entered Gaza, where the population of 2.3 million has been running out of food, water and medicine under Israel's two-week seal. With Israel still barring entry of fuel, the UN said its distribution of aid would grind to a halt within days when it can no longer fuel its trucks.
Gaza hospitals are struggling to keep generators running to power life-saving medical equipment and incubators for premature babies.
The release of the two hostages, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper, was confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The two women, along with their husbands, were snatched from their homes in the kibbutz of Nir Oz near the Gaza border in Hamas' October 7 rampage through towns of southern Israel. Their husbands were not released.
In a statement, Hamas said it had released them for humanitarian reasons. Hamas released an American woman and her teenage daughter last week.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Uber, Ola partner with Bengaluru Police on safety
Bengaluru (PTI): Bengaluru City Police (BCP) on Monday said that it has, in collaboration with cab aggregator platforms Uber and Ola, implemented a technology-driven integration aimed at enhancing the safety of riders and drivers.
It would also strengthen emergency response mechanisms across the city.
As part of this initiative, emergency call facilities have been incorporated within the Uber and Ola mobile applications used for booking rides, it said.
ALSO READ: Doctor assaults patient at Shimla hospital; probe ordered as video sparks protest
Through this integration, riders and drivers seeking emergency assistance can directly share real-time location data, trip details, and contact information with Bangalore City Police's 112 emergency response infrastructure from within the Uber/Ola app itself, an official release said.
Noting that this seamless flow of critical information enables quicker police access during emergencies, facilitating faster response times and potentially life-saving interventions by first responders, it said the initiative is a significant step towards leveraging technology partnerships to ensure safer urban mobility and improved public safety.
