Photographs of some of those taken hostage by Hamas during their recent attacks are seen on October 18, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
OAN’s Sophia Flores
11:30 AM – Friday, October 20, 2023
Hamas has issued a statement announcing that two Americans held captive in Gaza have been released.
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Natalie & Judith Raanan, Chicago mom & daughter, were reportedly released through Egypt and handed to the Red Cross.
Their family has NOT received confirmation yet.
Humanity is holding it’s collective breath, and praying, for them and the other 200 Hostages. pic.twitter.com/GMzAoJhA9z
— Motti Seligson (@mottiseligson) October 20, 2023
On Friday, through the messenger app Telegram, the terrorist organization announced that two American hostages, mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan, were being released on “humanitarian grounds.” A source familiar with the situation told CNN that the mother is in poor health.
“In response to Qatari efforts, (Ezzedine) al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens (a mother and her daughter) for humanitarian reasons and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless,” the terrorist group said in a statement.
Sources close to the situation told Fox News that newly released mother and daughter are currently in the care of the Red Cross.
The White House and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have yet to comment on the news.
The mother-daughter duo, from a city outside of Chicago, were in Israel to celebrate a relative’s 85th birthday. The newly graduated 18-year-old and her mother were celebrating the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah at Kibbutz Nahal Oz when they were taken hostage.
Hamas is believed to have at least 200 hostages in their possession at this time. Many hostages have already been pronounced dead.
On Wednesday, Carmela Dan, 80, and her 12-year-old granddaughter Noya, were found deceased near the Israel-Gaza border after being taken hostage by the terrorist group while at Kibbutz Nir Oz. Noya was at her grandmother home the morning of the massacre for a sleepover.
Noya, who had autism, was “a massive Harry Potter fan.” Israel’s account on X, the platform formally known as Twitter, shared her story. JK Rowling, the creator of the series, shared the post online.
Kidnapping children is despicable and wholly unjustifiable. For obvious reasons, this picture has hit home with me. May Noya and all hostages taken by Hamas be returned soon, safely, to their families. https://t.co/YIbf3egib4
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 16, 2023
Her grandmother who was kidnapped along side her, had American ties, as she was an American-Israeli citizen. She was set to turn 80 last Tuesday.
Three of their other relatives were taken from the kibbutz as well. The fate of Ofer Kalderon, 50, and his children Sahar Kalderon, 16, and Erez Kalderon,12, remains unknown.
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This is my friend Gaya Kalderon, desperately looking for any information about her family kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. Her father Ofer (53), grandmother Carmela(80, American citizen), cousin Noya(13), sister Sahar (16) and little brother
Erez(11). pic.twitter.com/4ZNUDiWBTp
— Tamarulu (@TamaraSyrkin) October 13, 2023
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