JERUSALEM, KOMPAS.com – Hamas has released two hostages from the United States (US), namely Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie Raanan.
They are the first hostages to be released since the Hamas-Israel war broke out on October 7.
As reported by Al Jazeera, Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida on Friday (20/10/2023) said that Hamas’ military wing, the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades, released the hostages for humanitarian reasons after mediation efforts by Qatar.
Also read: 21 Journalists Reported Killed Since Hamas-Israel War
The Israeli Prime Minister’s (PM) Office confirmed that Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie Raanan had been released and were in the country.
President Joe Biden in a statement thanked Qatar and Israel for their partnership in securing the release of the mother-daughter duo.
A Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman said the release of the US hostages came after “days of continuous communication with all parties”.
Qatar hopes dialogue will lead to the release of all civilian hostages from each country.
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that it had contributed to efforts to free the two United States citizens.
“The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) helped facilitate this release by transporting the hostages from Gaza to Israel, underscoring the real impact of our role as a neutral actor between the conflicting parties,” the organization said in a statement.
Also read: Can Biden’s Visit Defuse the Israel-Hamas Conflict?
“The ICRC continues to call for the immediate release of all hostages. “We are ready to visit the remaining hostages and facilitate their future release following an agreement reached by the parties,” they added.
Hamas said earlier in the day that it released the two captives in response to Qatar’s diplomatic efforts.
The Israeli military said earlier on Friday that it believed most of the captives were still alive.
The Hamas-Israel war itself has killed more than 5,000 people on both sides.
According to Israeli officials, most of the 1,400 people killed in Hamas attacks were civilians.
Israel responded with relentless bombing that has killed at least 4,137 people in the Gaza Strip, most of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel has also imposed a “total siege” on the enclave and says the siege will not be lifted unless the Israeli hostages are freed.
Those detained include women, children, the elderly and people from other countries, who have tried to free them, along with some Israeli soldiers.
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2023-10-20 22:44:00
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