Hamas announced the release of two American hostages

Spokesman for Brigades Al Qasam, Abu Obeidaannounced this Friday’s release two American hostages for “humanitarian reasons”, with the mediation of Qatar.

Abu Obeida, whose group is the armed wing of Hamas, said on his Telegram account that the two abductees were a mother and daughter.

He stated that they adopted this gesture to “show the American people and the world that the claims of (US President Joe) Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless.”

Spokesman for Office of the Prime Minister of Israel confirmed in a statement the release of the hostages Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Shoshana Raanan by Hamas.

He explained that the person in charge of hostages and missing persons in Israel, General Hirsch, accompanied by Israeli soldiers and security guards, received them at the border with Gaza.

The now former hostages are on their way to a meeting point at a military base in the center of the country, where their families await them.

He indicated that both were kidnapped by a Palestinian organization during an attack on Israeli territory on October 7 when they were in Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

A Hamas source told EFE that the hostages from Evanston, outside of Chicago (USA)

He emphasized that they coordinated with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for delivering the two hostages to the organization and that they ensured that both arrived on Israeli soil.

“From our side, it is a clear humanitarian step to show that our conflict is only with Israel,” the source pointed out.

Relatives of those abducted by Hamas, gathered under the umbrella of the so-called “Headquarters of the Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons”in a statement, he welcomed the release of the two women and reminded that kidnappings are a “war crime”.

“Hundreds of families are waiting for help from Arab leaders after the actions of Hamas shocked the world,” the note added, noting that “many Arab leaders have enormous influence” on the Palestinian group and “must act.” immediate release” of the abducted and missing.

They also called on world leaders and the international community to use all their power to secure the release of the hostages.

The announcement comes two days after Biden visited Israel to show his country’s “unwavering” support and defend Israelis’ right to defend themselves.

Furthermore, he compared Hamas to a terrorist group Islamic State (IS) and convinced that the “crimes” committed by the Palestinian organization make “Daesh” more rational.

The exact number of hostages with American passports held by Islamists in Gaza is not known. Currently there 13 Americans are missing and thirty dead after Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack on Israel, which left more than 1400 dead on Israeli soil.

A Palestinian group also kidnapped 250 hostages – 200 he says are in his hands and 50 in the hands of other Palestinian militias-, although the Israeli army lowered that number to 203.

On October 11, the Qatari network Al Jazeera published a video of the Al Qasam Brigade, allegedly showing one of the hostages with two freed children. The video was recorded from a distance, showing an unknown female person with two minors behind her.

Two men, said to be Hamas guerrillas, could be seen walking away from the allegedly freed hostages in an open area next to the fence, possibly between Israel and Gaza, which the Israeli military has labeled a “theatre”.