It is believed that at least two of the six American hostages still held in Gaza are alive — Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, who grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut, and Edan Alexander, 19, from Tenafly, New Jersey. Four other Americans are believed to have been killed in captivity.

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

In our news wrap Thursday, Hamas freed eight hostages and Israel handed over more than 100 Palestinian prisoners in a third round of exchanges, officials in Ukraine say a Russian drone attack killed at least six people in the northeastern city of Sumy and an appeals court ruled a federal ban on handgun sales to adults under 21 violates the Second Amendment.