US mother and daughter held hostage by Hamas have been released, says Israel

An Israeli woman looks at photos of Israelis missing and held captive in Gaza (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Hamas militants have freed two Americans – a mother and her teenage daughter – who had been held hostage in the Gaza Strip since extremists rampaged through Israel two weeks ago, the Israeli government said.

The pair, who also hold Israeli citizenship, were the first hostages to be released, and more than 200 are still being held.