Two hostages have been released by Hamas, the Israeli Hostage Center confirmed.

The hostages are two elderly women who are both Israeli nationals, the center said. The released hostages are 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper, both from the Nir Oz kibbutz, the center said.

The Red Cross said it helped transport the hostages out of Gaza Monday evening. The hostages have since arrived back in Israel, the hostage center said.

The Israeli military said Monday that at least 222 hostages were taken by Hamas since Oct. 7. Two American hostages, a mother and daughter, were released on Friday.

The Family Forum of the Missing and Hostages said in a statement, "Over 200 Israeli citizens are being held in deplorable conditions and have been waiting to return home for 17 days. We call on the Israeli government and world leaders to bring everyone home now."

President Joe Biden was asked by a reporter Monday if the U.S. is supporting a deal for hostages in exchange for a cease-fire.

Biden replied, "We should get -- we should have a cease-fire -- not a cease-fire -- we should have those hostages released, and then we can talk."

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby was asked by ABC News whether there are competing goals between Israel and America, with Israel repeatedly saying its top priority is destroying Hamas and the U.S. saying its highest priority is the hostages.

At first, Kirby said America's top priority "is to make sure Israel has the tools and the capacity and the capabilities to go after Hamas terrorists, and to make sure humanitarian assistance flows in, and to make sure we can get innocent civilians who want to leave Gaza out."

When pressed on the discrepancy with Israel’s stated top goal, Kirby said, "We agree the top priority has got to be going after Hamas."

Kirby repeatedly declined to say if there's an effort from the U.S. and other countries to urge Israel to delay the ground invasion. Kirby said he would not speak for the Israeli Defense Forces or other countries, but that the U.S. has been communicating with Israel from the start about their intentions and goals.

-ABC News' Selina Wang

United Nations experts said they're urging the lawyers advising Israeli forces "to refuse legal authorisation for acts that may amount to war crimes."

The lawyers' "advice about issues such as lawful targets of attack, the choice and use of weapons, and the means and methods of warfare is essential to the operational planning of military campaigns," the U.N. experts said in a statement Monday.

"Under international law, Israel has a right to self-defence, but its response must be proportionate and in full respect of the UN Charter and the rules that apply to the use of force in armed conflict," the experts said.

"If such lawyers approve actions that amount to massive human rights violations and war crimes, they may bear accomplice liability for those acts," the experts warned.