There are now reports that two American hostages have been released, and Fox News is saying they have independently confirmed this. 

BREAKING: Two American hostages were released from Gaza, Fox News has independently confirmed

— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) October 20, 2023

Hamas released a statement saying why they were releasing them. 

"In response to Qatari efforts, Al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens (a mother and her daughter) for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless," Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida said Friday.

It's not clear exactly how many American hostages Hamas is holding. There are 32 Americans who were killed, and at least 11 other Americans still missing and believed to be hostages. 

President Joe Biden is leaving for the beach late Friday, and it's not clear what the status of the other hostages is.