Israel-Gaza conflict: 5 key developments on Tuesday 24 October

One of the two more hostages freed by Hamas earlier this week shared the details of her time being held captive by the group on Tuesday.

Here are the main stories from today:

1. Hamas hostage shakes hand of abductor

• An 85-year-old woman who was kidnapped by Hamas has spoken about her period of captivity, detailing how she was kept in a “spider web” of tunnels underneath Gaza, was hit with sticks and had "been through hell".

• Yocheved Lifshitz was one of two hostages released on Monday night. "We told them, no politics," she said of conversations they tried to have with their captors. "We didn’t answer them [on politics]. They talked about all kinds of things. They were very friendly to us. They took care of all of our needs; this must be said to their credit. We ate what they did."

• Lifshitz also discussed footage showing her shaking the hand of one of her captors, saying she did so because they treated her “with softness and supplied all our needs".

Read more: Woman’s release ‘gives hope’ to families of Hamas hostages (PA)

2. IDF 'strikes' Hamas infrastructure

• The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said they had struck a Hamas infrastructure target inside Gaza, at the Al-Shati refugee camp, which Gaza's health ministry said killed and injured people - including women and children.

• According to the IDF, over the past day it "struck over 400 terror targets and killed several Hamas commanders and numerous operatives preparing attacks".

Read more: Israel strikes Hamas target in Gaza refugee camp, military says (Reuters)

3. IDF drops leaflets in Gaza

• The IDF has dropped leaflets in Gaza offering a financial reward for information about the hostages taken from Israel by Hamas, as well as promising protection in return for speaking with them.

• "If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area," the military said in the leaflet.

Read more: Israel drops leaflets in Gaza offering reward for hostage information (Reuters)

4. Aid agencies call for help in Gaza

• Aid agencies including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and the World Health Organization have called for more aid to be allowed to enter Gaza.

• "We call for an unimpeded and continuous flow of humanitarian assistance and medical assistance to continue coming into Gaza," said Tamara Alrifai, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. "The trucks that have come in so far are just a trickle in the face of the immense needs of people on the street."

Read more: UN organisations plead for unimpeded Gaza aid 'on our knees' (Reuters)

5. Scottish first minister makes emotional statement

• Scotland's first minister Humza Yousaf has made an emotional statement about his wife's parents, who are trapped in Gaza.

• He said he and his wife woke every morning hoping the family was still alive. “I spoke to my mother-in-law this morning. She feels helpless and has lost hope. She told me she feels as if the UK government has forgotten about her," he said.

Read more: Yousaf’s mother-in-law has ‘lost hope’ as FM makes emotional statement (PA)

Where is Gaza?

Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip, is a densely-populated Palestinian enclave on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, northeast of the Sinai Peninsula.

Bound by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the north and east and Egypt to the south, it is just 25 miles long and six miles wide.

Gaza is one of two Palestinian territories. The other is the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Read more

• EU and Britain clash over ceasefire between Israel and Hamas