Mother and daughter US hostages released by Hamas

Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie have been released from Gaza, as confirmed by Israeli officials.

Judith and Natalie were part of a large extended family caught up in the attack. They were in Israel to celebrate the 85th birthday of Judith’s mother, Tamar Raanan, and Natalie’s graduation from high school.

They had planned to fly home to the US earlier, but changed their flights to stay in Israel longer. They were taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Hamas attacks on 7 October.

Tamar Raanan and her partner Yehiel survived by hiding in their safe room at home in Nahal Oz, where they were rescued by IDF forces.

Another eight family members are missing from Kibbutz Be’eri, and three were killed, including a carer. Dr Shoshan Haran, 67, her daughter Adi Shoham, 38, Adi’s partner Tal Shoham, 38, and their children, Naveh, 8, and Yahel, 3, are believed to have been kidnapped from their home.

According to Fair Planet, the non-profit that Dr Haran founded, a phone that belonged to her husband Avshalom was tracked to Gaza and they believe the whole family was taken.

Avshalom Haran – an economist and dual German-Israeli citizen – is now dead, the BBC has confirmed. He was 66.

Sharon Avigdori, 52, her daughter Noam, 12, and Lilach Kipnis, 60, are also believed to have been kidnapped.

Lilach’s husband Eviatar Kipnis, who was 66 and had Italian citizenship, was killed, the family said. Paul Vincent Castelvi, who was Eviatar Kipnis’s carer, was also killed.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said they were “extremely relieved” after they helped facilitate the transfer of the US hostages from Gaza to Israel, “underscoring the real-life impact of our role as a neutral actor between the warring parties”.

US President Joe Biden has released a statement in response to the release of Americans Judith and Natalie Raanan, saying he is “overjoyed” they “will soon be reunited with their family”.

He said US citizens held hostage by Hamas since 7 October had “endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days”, adding they will have the full support of the US government as they “recover and heal”.

Biden thanked both the Qatari and Israel governments for working together to secure their release, and said his government was working “around the clock” to free US citizens taken hostage by Hamas.  “As president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans held hostage around the world.”

(BBC)