Hamas terrorists on Friday freed two Americans – a mother and her teenage daughter named Judith Tai and Natalie Raanan – who had been held hostage in Gaza since terrorists rampaged through Israel two weeks ago.
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The two, who are from the Chicago area, had arrived to visit another relative in Nahal Oz, their mother and grandmother respectively, when the Oct. 7 onslaught began. While some of their relatives were murdered by Hamas, the two women were taken by force to Gaza. The two were released around 8 p.m. Friday, through Egypt, and then flown to an IDF base in Israel. It was unclear if Israel was part of the deal, although it is likely that the Israeli decision to let in humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, at the request of the US, played a role in securing the two's release.
Video: President Joe Bide speaks with Natalie and Judith Ra'anan / Credit: Twitter/@POTUS
The pair were the first hostages to be released, and more than 200 are still being held. Hamas said it was releasing them in an agreement with the Qatari government for humanitarian reasons.
Relatives of other captives welcomed the release and appealed for others to be freed.
Video: 'It's a massacre' - Israeli kibbutz highlights destruction of Hamas attack / Credit: Reuters
"We call on world leaders and the international community to exert their full power in order to act for the release of all the hostages and missing,'' the statement said.
President Biden also issued the following statement:
"Today, we have secured the release of two Americans taken hostage by Hamas during the horrific terrorist assault against Israel on October 7. 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. These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal, and we should all respect their privacy in this moment.
"From the earliest moments of this attack, we have been working around-the-clock to free American citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas, and we have not ceased our efforts to secure the release of those who are still being held. I thank the government of Qatar and the government of Israel for their partnership in this work. Jill and I have been holding close in our hearts all the families of unaccounted for Americans. And, as I told those families when I spoke with them last week – we will not stop until we get their loved ones home. As president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans held hostage around the world."
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