HAMAs released two American hostages yesterday: Hamas – Isreal war
The Hamas government in Gaza released two American hostages yesterday, out of a total of around 200, and hinted that more would follow.
The Israeli government confirmed this night that Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan had returned to Israel.
AFP says that Vice President Joe Biden of the United States was “overjoyed” by the news, despite the lack of information regarding the status of the victims.
Hamas also indicated that further releases of its “civilian” hostages were possible by saying that it was cooperating with Qatar and Egypt to do so.
An Israeli representative met the women at the border and transported them to a central Israel military base “where their families are waiting to meet them.”
On October 7, the American mother and daughter were taken from the Nahal Oz kibbutz, which is located close to the Israel-Gaza border. It was reported that they were visiting Israel on vacation.
Like the families of many of the other hostages, the Ranaan family began an international campaign to rally support for the release of their loved ones from Gaza.
After mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas claimed that the “(Ezzedine) al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens for humanitarian reasons.”
A Tiny Glimmer Of Hope
Palestinian Islamist authorities have stated that they are “working with all mediators to implement the movement’s decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions allow.” It was vague about what it wanted.
Hamas militants allegedly kidnapped 203 individuals, including Israelis, dual nationals, and foreigners, during the bloodiest attacks in Israel’s 75-year history. The government estimates that 1,400 individuals were murdered, the vast majority of whom were innocent bystanders.
According to the Hamas government, Israel’s unrelenting bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of at least 4,137 individuals, the vast majority of whom are civilians.
The Israeli government has made the rescue of the hostages a top priority, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has pledged to utilise “any means available to locate all those missing and bring home all the kidnapped.”
It was said that the International Committee of the Red Cross assisted in getting the liberated Americans to Israel.
Its president, Mirjana Spoljaric, called for “a minimum of humanity” from all parties in the war after their release gave a “sliver of hope” to the families of other hostages.
Biden had visited Israel two days prior to his release to show support following the tragedy.
I am pleased that our fellow Americans, who have experienced a horrific ordeal over the past 14 days, will soon be reunited with their family, who has been gripped with terror, as he put it in a statement.
Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, has demanded additional releases “immediately and unconditionally.”
Two top Hamas officials also make their home in the Gulf state of Qatar, making it a major donor to the Gaza Strip. The release came after “many days of continuous communication between all the parties involved,” according to a representative for Qatar’s foreign ministry.
Majid al-Ansari, the spokesman, stated, “We will continue our dialogue with both the Israelis and Hamas, and we hope these efforts will lead to the release of all civilian hostages of every nationality, with the ultimate goal of de-escalating the current crisis and restoring peace.”
While several deaths have been discovered during Israeli incursions into Gaza, the Israeli military said earlier on Friday that the majority of those abducted to Gaza were still alive.
According to the military, there are between 10 and 20 captives who are beyond the age of 60, and another 20 who are under the age of 20.
The army further reported that since the Hamas strikes, between 100 and 200 people have been reported missing.
