US President Joe Biden spoke by telephone on Saturday with Judith and Natalie Raanan, who had been released from captivity in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip the night before.
The mother and daughter were taken hostage by Kibbutz Nahal Oz during Hamas’ invasion of southern Israel on October 7, which left 1,400 people dead and more than 200 others kidnapped. The two live in Chicago and were visiting Israel to celebrate a relative’s birthday.
On Friday afternoon, Biden released a statement taking credit for the couple’s release and thanking “the Government of Qatar and the Government of Israel for their partnership in this work.”
“Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal over the past fourteen days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their families wracked by fear,” Biden said.
“These individuals and their families will have the full support of the U.S. government as they recover and heal, and we must all respect their privacy at this time,” he added.
The Israeli army has informed 210 families that their loved ones have been kidnapped and taken to Gaza. The military also stressed that the situation is complex and that some may have been killed.
Among the kidnapped are about 20 to 30 children and 10 to 20 people over the age of 60. The hostages include citizens of eight or nine countries, in addition to Israel.
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First print: October 21, 2023 | 11:39 PM IST