2 American hostages freed by Hamas united with family
The two were among roughly 200 people taken hostage by Hamas.
Hamas released two of the hostages taken on Oct 7, on ‘humanitarian grounds’, and were united with the family in Israel sources confirmed.
A Chicago-area woman Judith Tai Raanan, 59, and her teenage daughter Natalie, 17, were the two hostages handed over to Israeli forces at the Gaza Strip border on Friday.
Later a video released by the White House showed President Joe Biden having a phone conversation with two American hostages released by Hamas.
US President Joe Biden said he was overjoyed at their release and confirmed he had spoken with the released two hostages on the phone.
Judith and Natalie, I’m so glad you’re coming home. pic.twitter.com/c7az0PcYXn
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 21, 2023
The release was announced by Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the armed wing of Hamas, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades.
It was also confirmed a short time later in a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli PM said the mother and daughter, from the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, were “on their way to a meeting point at a military base in the center of the country, where their family members are waiting for them.”
As reported, the mother and daughter were abducted from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the surprise assault on southern Israel carried out from Gaza by Iranian-backed Islamist militants of Hamas on Oct. 7.
