American Woman, Daughter Freed by Hamas

Hamas announced Friday that it had freed two of its hostages in Gaza: an American woman and her daughter. "Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Shoshana Raanan were released from the hands of the terrorist organization Hamas," a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in a statement. Israeli officials met them Friday evening at the Gaza border and were taking them to a military base in the middle of Israel, "where their family members are waiting for them," the spokesperson said. The two were seized by Hamas at the Nahal Oz kibbutz, on Oct. 7, NBC News reports. Martin Fletcher, a former network correspondent, announced their capture Thursday night on MSNBC, saying they're part of his wife's family.

Ben Raanan said his mother and sister, who are from Illinois, had gone to Israel to celebrate a relative's birthday, per ABC News. Once in Israel, they were receiving medical treatment, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said. President Biden issued a statement saying, "I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear." Hamas said in its statement that the release was made on humanitarian grounds after a mediation effort by Qatar, Axios reports.

Israel earlier told the US that some of the Americans held by Hamas are alive, per CNN, though it's not clear whether that was a reference to these two hostages or others; the US has not put a number on the Americans taken hostage. A group representing families of hostages welcomed the release. "The continued holding of hostages is a war crime. Hundreds of families await the assistance of leaders of Arab states after Hamas' actions shocked the entire world," said a statement to CNN from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. (Hamas has released a video of a 21-year-old hostage.)