Hamas Releases Israeli-American Mother and Daughter Hostages

 Hamas Releases Israeli-American Mother and Daughter Hostages

Hostages- Judith (59) and Natalie Raanan (17)

In a surprising turn of events on Friday night, Hamas released two Israeli-American hostages held in Gaza since October 7. Judith Raanan, aged 59, and her daughter Natalie, 17, were handed over to the Red Cross and subsequently transferred to the US Embassy in Jerusalem. Hamas claimed their release was driven by "humanitarian reasons" in an official statement.

Natalie's father, Uri Raanan, spoke to Israeli media, assuring that his daughter was unharmed during her time in captivity. He said, "She is happy to be back home, and I hope she will be able to celebrate her birthday next week in Chicago."

The Raanan family had initially arrived in Israel a month and a half ago to celebrate the 85th birthday of Judith's mother, Tamar Levitan, in the southern kibbutz of Nahal Oz. However, on the morning of October 7, Hamas attacked the kibbutz, taking both women hostage.

The release of the two hostages has sparked hope for the liberation of more captives held by Hamas, further complicating the anticipated Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.

Eran Etzion, former head of policy planning at Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed, "This is a situation we have never seen before. Many Israelis are urging the army to prioritize the release of the numerous hostages before proceeding with a ground offensive. I think that is the right thing to do."

On Friday, a journalist asked US President Joe Biden whether Israel should delay its ground invasion until more hostages are released. President Biden responded with "Yes," but later, White House spokesperson Ben LaBolt clarified that the President's response was influenced by the noisy environment aboard Air Force One, and he thought he was addressing the question of more hostages being freed.

In contrast, Israeli Army Spokesperson Daniel Hagari rejected Hamas' claims that the release was driven by humanitarian concerns, stating, "Hamas is presenting itself to the world as a group that releases hostages for humanitarian reasons, but in reality, we are talking about a murderous terror organization holding babies, children, women, and the elderly captive." He also hinted that the fighting could endure for several more weeks.

In an attempt to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, representatives from numerous countries are scheduled to convene in Cairo on Saturday. However, no significant breakthrough is expected from this summit, as major players like Israel, the US, Hamas, and Iran are notably absent.

Veteran Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt expressed skepticism regarding the Cairo summit, labeling the participating countries as "non-players" with limited influence.

Mass protests in support of Hamas and Gaza took place in Cairo on Friday, with the demonstrations extending to Tahrir Square, the site of the 2011 protests that led to the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak.

Both Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II have raised concerns about the war in Gaza, particularly regarding the potential displacement of Gazan residents. They have firmly rejected the idea of admitting Palestinian refugees into Jordan and Egypt, emphasizing that there will be "no refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt."

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also warned that attempts to push Gazans into Egypt would jeopardize regional peace.

Gazans continue to await aid trucks from Egypt, which have yet to receive the green light to enter Gaza, despite Israel accepting Biden's request to allow humanitarian aid delivery on Wednesday.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, Israel has issued an evacuation order for al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, which currently treats around 400 patients and accommodates thousands of internally displaced individuals. The Israeli Army disputes the issuance of a new evacuation order, claiming that the initial order issued a week ago for the population of north Gaza remains valid.

According to Euro-Med Monitor, since October 7, at least 4,079 Palestinians have lost their lives, including 1,413 children and 806 women, with over 15,000 Palestinians sustaining injuries. The Hamas terror attack on Israeli villages on October 7 resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 Israelis, and on Friday, the Israeli medical team announced that they were still recovering bodies from the attack.

Throughout Friday, attacks continued on Israel's northern border with Lebanon. The Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia took responsibility for these attacks, which included at least 30 rockets and several anti-tank missiles. In response, the Israel Defense Force carried out airstrikes on several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.

In a development previously unseen, the Iran-backed Yemenite Houthi movement allegedly fired multiple missiles toward Israel late Thursday. The USS Carney, a US Navy-guided missile destroyer in the northern Red Sea, intercepted and destroyed the missiles and drones launched by the Houthis in Yemen, as stated by the Pentagon.