‘On Humanitarian Grounds’: Hamas Frees Two American-Israeli Hostages with Hope for More – News18

The terrorist group Hamas released two Americans on Friday out of some 200 hostages they abducted during the brutal October 7 attacks in Israel, news agency AFP reported. The terrorist group indicated that it could release more hostages in the future.

The Israeli government confirmed that Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan returned to Israel late Friday night. US President Joe Biden spoke to both the women by phone and said he was “overjoyed” at the news. No details are available on their physical or health condition.

“Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear,” he said in a statement.

Hamas said it was working with Qatar and Egypt to free its “civilian” hostages, in a sign that more releases could follow, the report by AFP said. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had helped transport the freed Americans to Israel.

The International Committee of the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric said their release provided a “sliver of hope” for the families of other hostages and called on all sides in the conflict to show “a minimum of humanity”.

Judith and Natalie, mother and daughter and American-Israelis, were kidnapped from the Nahal Oz kibbutz near the Israel-Gaza border on October 7. They were reportedly on holiday in Israel at the time. An Israeli official met them at the Gaza border and took them to a military base in central Israel.

“(Ezzedine) al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens for humanitarian reasons,” Hamas said after releasing the duo.

The Ranaan family, who launched an international campaign to press for efforts to bring them out of Gaza like the other hostages, thanked the community around the world for helping secure the duo’s release.

Meanwhile, Hamas said that they plan to “close the civilian (hostage) file” and have discussed how to implement this with mediators. “(We are) working with all mediators to implement the movement’s decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions allow,” Hamas said.

Israel says 203 people — Israelis, dual nationals and foreigners — were abducted by Hamas gunmen when they launched the deadliest attacks in Israel’s 75-year history. At least 1,400 people were killed, mostly civilians, according to the government.

Israel has responded with a relentless bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip that has left at least 4,137 people dead, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas administration.

Israel has also come under fire due to the hostage issue. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under relentless pressure to secure the release. His office said the government would use “any means available to locate all those missing and bring home all the kidnapped”.