In a significant development, Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization, released two American hostages on Friday, among approximately 200 individuals who were held following a surprise attack on Israel on October 7th. The hostages had been transported to Gaza, and Hamas has indicated the possibility of releasing more civilian hostages.
The Israeli government has confirmed the arrival of Judith Tyd Rahnam and her daughter, Natalie Shushana Rahnam, in Israel late on Friday. While no details regarding their condition have been provided, US President Joe Biden quickly expressed his “immense joy” at the news.
Upon their arrival, the two women were received by an Israeli envoy at the Gaza border and subsequently transferred to a military base in central Israel, where their families are awaiting their reunion, according to Israeli authorities.
The mother and daughter were abducted from Kibbutz Nahal Oz near the Israel-Gaza border on October 7th. They were en route to a military base in central Israel to be reunited with their family.
Like many other hostage families, the Rahnam family had initiated an international campaign to exert pressure for their release from Gaza.
Hamas, in a statement, confirmed the release of the “two American detainees (a mother and her daughter) on humanitarian grounds.”
A Glimpse of Hope Hamas has affirmed that it is working with “all mediators” towards “resolving the civilian detainees’ file” under the appropriate security conditions, without disclosing specific demands.
Israel claims that Hamas had detained 203 individuals, both Israelis and foreigners, during their unprecedented attack, considered the worst against Israel since its establishment in 1948. The attack resulted in the death of at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, on the day of the assault, according to Israeli officials.
In response, Israel launched a sustained bombardment campaign on the Gaza Strip, resulting in at least 4,137 fatalities, the majority of whom were civilians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is under Hamas’s control.
The hostage issue has become a top priority for the Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that his government would use “any means available to locate the missing and return all the abductees to their homeland.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross announced that it had assisted in the transfer of the two American hostages to Israel.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric-Gajic stated that their release offers a “glimpse of hope” for the families of other hostages, urging the conflict parties to display “a minimum of humanity.”
The release of the hostages occurred two days after President Biden’s solidarity visit to Israel.
In response, Biden stated that the two women had “endured a terrible ordeal over the past 14 days,” expressing his immense happiness that they would soon be reunited with their families.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that all hostages “must be released immediately and unconditionally.”
A spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that their country had mediated between Hamas and the United States, with the release coming after several days of ongoing discussions among all concerned parties.
The Israeli military had previously announced that most of the detainees in Gaza remained alive.
In a statement, a military spokesperson noted that “the majority of the hostages are alive. There are also bodies that have been taken… to the Gaza Strip.”
According to the military, among the approximately 200 hostages currently in Gaza, more than 20 are minors (under 18 years old), and between 10 and 20 hostages are over the age of 60.
The Israeli military estimates that between 100 to 200 people are still considered missing since the attack by Hamas on October 7th, targeting Israeli border towns.
