Emotional moment: Illinois mother and daughter held hostage by Hamas hug relatives after being released following 13-day ordeal
An Illinois mother and daughter who were taken hostage by Hamas have been pictured hugging family members after being released following a 13-day ordeal.
Natalie Shoshana Raanan, 17, and her mother Judith Tai Raanan, 59, arrived back in Israel late Friday after leaving Gaza through an Egyptian-controlled border crossing.
The pair left Gaza without apparent injuries and got out of a car before being surrounded by ICRC staff wearing vests with the red cross on them.
In a social media post, mother and daughter are seen hugging family members, including Judith’s sister and mother, tightly.
The governor of Illinois said Friday evening that the two are now receiving medical treatment without providing any details about their conditions.
The Raanans left Gaza without any apparent injuries. Here they are seen hugging their family members after their ordeal
An image of the two being returned to Israel was shared by authorities in the area, showing the pair surrounded by armed soldiers
After Natalie’s release, her brother Ben joked that he was “annoyed” because she still looked “like a supermodel” despite her ordeal.
‘It goes well with her. She is doing very well,” said Uri Raanan, 71, who lives in the Chicago suburbs, adding that they have not discussed where she was being held or her conditions in captivity.
‘She didn’t tell me anything. But she told me that they were kind to her, and that she was doing very well.
“I’m going to hug her and kiss her, and it’s going to be the best day of my life.”
Raanan also said he expected them both to be back in the US early next week.
He described the past 13 days as “the worst situation,” adding that he had been kept in the dark by their captors.
Raanan said, “I didn’t sleep at night and my mind was always in Israel. Lots of phone calls, lots of TV. I spent two weeks glued to the TV, hoping for good news, and it finally came.”
He added: “I haven’t lost hope. Praying and just waiting for this moment.”
An image of the two being returned to Israel was shared by authorities in the area, showing the pair surrounded by armed soldiers.
Natalie Raanan and her mother Judith speak with Joe Biden, in a photo released by the US Embassy in Israel on Friday evening
Natalie Raanan and her father, Uri Raanan, are pictured in Mexico. He said Friday that she was doing well despite her ordeal
Anthony Blinken, the Secretary of State, said there are still fears that Hamas is holding 10 Americans hostage.
The State Secretary announced the missing number during a press conference in which he announced the release of Judith and Natalie Raanan.
President Biden said he was “overjoyed” by the women’s release and continued to work to free other imprisoned Americans.
Blinken said he had no further information to offer on the “status or condition” of the Americans reportedly still in Hamas custody after the October 7 terror attacks.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, said: “Two of our abductees are at home.
“We will not give up our efforts to bring home all the hostages and missing people. At the same time, we will continue to fight until victory.’
Martin Fletcher, one of MSNBC’s Middle East correspondents, broke down on air and revealed that Judith and Natalie are members of his wife’s family.
Fletcher said on Thursday: ‘They were last seen with their hands tied as they were being dragged away by the Hamas terrorists.
“So it’s personal, it’s real, and no one is really confident that it’s possible to get them back alive. Of course everyone hopes.’
A photo taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke rising over the northwestern part of the Palestinian enclave during an Israeli bombardment on October 21, 2023
Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel, Friday, October 20, 2023
Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, said the two were released “on humanitarian grounds.”
In a defiant statement, Abu Ubaida said the move would “prove to the American people and the world that the claims of Biden and his fascist government are false and baseless.”
Israel responded to the massacre and Hamas hostage crisis by bombarding Gaza with airstrikes, which Hamas says killed more than 4,100 people, and has said it will act to free the hostages while eradicating the terror group.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians attacked during the October 7 raid.
Earlier today, the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza was opened to allow a trickle of much-needed aid to flow into Palestine for the first time since Israel closed the crossing through Israel.
Only 20 trucks were allowed in, a number that aid workers said was insufficient to tackle the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
For days, more than 200 trucks carrying approximately 3,000 tons of relief supplies have been at the border crossing.
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip arrive from Egypt
Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians, half of whom have fled their homes, are rationing food and drinking dirty water.
Hospitals say they are running low on medical supplies and fuel for emergency generators due to a nationwide power outage.
Israel’s military spokesman said the country plans to step up its attacks from Saturday in preparation for the next phase of its war against Hamas.
When asked about a possible ground invasion, Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters that the military was trying to create optimal conditions in advance.
“We will deepen our attacks to minimize dangers to our forces in the next phases of the war. We are going to intensify attacks from today,” he said, repeating his call for Gaza City residents to move south for their safety.