Two Americans Confirmed Released by Hamas, US Presses Israel to Delay Ground Invasion
A senior Israeli official speaking to The Times of Israel identifies the two hostages released by Hamas as Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie [18-years old].
The pair, who both have American citizenship, have been transferred to the International Red Cross ahead of their arrival in Israel, the official says.
The two are residents of Evanston, Illinois outside of Chicago and came to Israel this month to celebrate a relative’s 85th birthday and the Jewish holiday season, according to their rabbi.
The Raanan family had been celebrating Simchat Torah in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz in Israel about a mile from the Gaza border when the Hamas onslaught began.
The agreement to free the mother and daughter reportedly came via Qatar’s mediation, which often plays such a role with Hamas.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said at least 10 more Americans remain in captivity.
In Blinken’s briefing, he thanked Qatar:
.@SecBlinken briefs reporters on the release of two Americans who were taken hostage by Hamas during the terrorist attack against Israel. The former hostages were released into Israeli custody. 10 Americans remain unaccounted for, some of whom remain as hostages. pic.twitter.com/O3Nr26xmLv
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 20, 2023
With Israeli infantry and tank forces states at the border, having been given the green light to enter Gaza by the Netanyahu government, there’s been a potential breakthrough related to American hostages held by Hamas. A Hamas spokesman has announced the release of two US hostages:
The spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, has said that the group has released two US captives for humanitarian reasons.
“In response to Qatari efforts, Al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens (a mother and her daughter) for humanitarian reasons,” Abu Obaida said in a statement.
He added that the move aimed “to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless”.
The announcement has not received immediate government confirmation from the US side. But Israeli officials appear to be confirming:
#Israeli official reportedly confirmed that two hostages were released https://t.co/omQyB0zf6Y
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) October 20, 2023
The Israeli military earlier in the day announced that it believes the majority of the some 200 hostages in Gaza are still alive. This as the defense minister also told troops massed that the border that they will soon see the Gaza Strip “from the inside”.
If the hostage release is confirmed, this could be a move by Hamas to buy more time before the large Israeli ground incursion, which is likely to result in high casualties among both sides. Meanwhile, President Biden has said Friday that the first Gaza aid trucks are likely to cross into Gaza from Egypt in the ‘next 24 to 48 hours’. Washington is also leaning on Israel to see if more hostages can be negotiated for, prior to the ground assault.
