Biden Speaks to Freed American-Israeli Hostages

Jerusalem, 21 October, 2023 (TPS) -- U.S. President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Saturday with Judith and Natalie Raanan, who were freed the previous night from captivity in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The mother and daughter were taken hostage from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion of southern Israel that killed 1,400 people and resulted in over 200 others kidnapped. The two live in Chicago and were visiting Israel to celebrate a relative’s birthday.

On Friday afternoon, Biden released a statement taking credit for the pair’s release and thanking “the government of Qatar and the government of Israel for their partnership in this work.

“Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear,” said Biden.

“These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal, and we should all respect their privacy in this moment,” he added.

The Israel Defense Forces has informed 210 families that their loved ones have been kidnapped and taken to Gaza. The military also stressed that the situation is complex and some may have been killed.

Among the kidnapped are some 20 to 30 children and 10 to 20 people over the age of 60. Hostages include citizens of eight or nine countries in addition to Israel.