The spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, Abu Obeida, announced that in response to Qatari efforts, "we have released two American hostages (a mother and daughter) for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims of Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless." The two American hostages from Illinois, Natalie and Judith Raanan, were released by Hamas and have arrived in Israel.
President Joe Biden announced in a statement on Friday that the United States successfully secured the release of the two Americans who were held hostage by Hamas during the attack on Israel. Earlier, Israel stated that the women are Judith and Natalie Raanan. Biden thanked Qatar and Israel for their partnership in securing their release.
In an initial comment, the Qatari Foreign Ministry indicated that the release of the two American hostages from Gaza came "after many days of ongoing communications" with all parties. They continued: "The Qatari dialogue regarding the release of hostages will continue with Israel and Hamas." The ministry expressed hope that the dialogue would lead to "the release of all civilian hostages of all nationalities."
Hamas revealed that it is working with intermediaries to resolve the issue of civilians if security conditions allow. The Palestinian Islamic resistance movement "Hamas," which governs the Gaza Strip, stated on Friday that it is working with "all intermediaries to implement the movement's decision to resolve the civilian issue if suitable security conditions are met." The movement released the two American hostages earlier today. It is believed that Hamas is holding around 200 hostages, including foreigners, following its attack on Israel on October 7. They have previously described non-Israelis as "guests" who will be released.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that a team from the U.S. embassy in Israel would soon meet with the two Americans released by Hamas on Friday. Blinken stated at a press conference, "Ten Americans remain missing after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. We know that some of them are held hostage by Hamas."
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the release of the two American hostages from Gaza, emphasizing that Qatar played a very important role.
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that it facilitated the release of the hostages from Hamas by transporting them from Gaza to Israel as part of its role as a neutral party among the warring sides. ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said, "The release of the hostages in Gaza today is a glimmer of hope. We are greatly relieved that they can now reunite after two weeks of suffering, and we continue to urge action to protect and alleviate the suffering of all civilians affected by this devastating conflict." She added, "The ICRC continues to call for the immediate release of all hostages, and we are ready to visit any remaining hostages and facilitate any future release after an agreement is reached between the parties. During the time hostages are held captive, they must be allowed to receive humanitarian assistance and medical care, and they should have the opportunity to contact their families. Our commitment to helping individuals who have been kidnapped, detained, or gone missing is unwavering." It is essential that the warring parties maintain a minimum of humanity even in the worst cases of war. People in Gaza cannot be left waiting for the urgent assistance they need. Hospitals are on the brink of collapse, and families are sleeping in the open with little food and water. We urgently call for a cessation of hostilities and the allowance of humanitarian aid and first responders. Every hour that passes without increasing assistance means more misery and suffering.
According to previous reports about the mother and daughter in the American press, the Raanan family traveled from Chicago to Israel to celebrate a relative’s birthday, according to their rabbi. They were kidnapped from the Nahal Ouz area near the Gaza border. It is noted that many reporters have mentioned a strange calm in Gaza for two hours, which may have been the period agreed upon for the transfer of the hostages, coinciding with U.S. President Joe Biden’s statement that he received a promise from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Israel to secure the opening of the Rafah crossing. According to Israeli media, the U.S. official responsible for missing persons received the two Americans from Gaza while they were on their way to a military base. Bloomberg revealed that Washington and Western governments are pressuring Israel to postpone its ground invasion to allow Qatar's mediation in the release of the hostages.
