Thank you for reading the blog. Here are today’s most significant updates from the Israel-Hamas conflict:

• Hamas frees two more hostages, US warns on conflict Hamas on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) released two elderly Israeli women held hostage in Gaza 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.
• Hostages must be released before any talks, says Biden US President Joe Biden has declared hostages must be released before any substantive ceasefire talks can begin.
• US readies plans for mass evacuations if Gaza conflict escalates The Biden administration is preparing for the possibility that hundreds of thousands of American citizens will require evacuation from the Middle East if the bloodshed in Gaza cannot be contained, according to four officials familiar with the US government’s contingency planning.
• Middle East is ‘on the cusp of 1914’, says Joe Hockey Former treasurer Joe Hockey, who has Palestinian heritage, has warned that the Middle East conflict could ignite into a major war, saying the conflict was “on the cusp” of a 1914 moment.
• Obama warns some of Israel’s actions in Gaza may backfire Some of Israel’s actions in its war against Hamas, like cutting off food and water for Gaza, could “harden Palestinian attitudes for generations” and weaken international support for Israel, former US president Barack Obama has warned.
• China reiterates call for humanitarian laws to be followed in Gaza Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated that Israel must protect civilians even as it has the right to defend itself in a conflict, ahead of a visit to the US this week.