Israel-Hamas War: Hamas Releases 2 US Nationals Held As Hostages In Gaza Strip

Hamas on Friday released two US-Israeli dual nationals held as hostages in the Gaza Strip. They are the first hostages to be released so far in the Israel-Hamas War. 

Hamas and other aligned Palestinian groups hold at least 200 Israelis and foreign nationals as hostages in Gaza. The groups abducted these civilians and took them to Gaza on October 7 when they mounted a coordinated unprecedented all-out offensive on Israel. At least 1,400 were killed and more than 4,600 were injured in the attack, according to Israeli authorities. 

The two released hostages have been identified as Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie Raanan. They were handed over to the Red Cross and were then handed over to the Israeli authorities. The two of them are from Chicago and were visiting relatives in Israel when they were abducted. 

Following their release, US President Joe Biden talked to Judith and Natalie over phone. A statement issued by the White House quoted him as saying that the efforts to ensure safety of the hostages would continue to take place. He also thanked the Qatari and Israeli governments. 

"From the earliest moments of this attack, we have been working around-the-clock to free American citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas, and we have not ceased our efforts to secure the release of those who are still being held...And, as I told those families when I spoke with them last week—we will not stop until we get their loved ones home. As president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans held hostage around the world," said Biden.

Hamas said that Judith and Natalie were released on "humanitarian" grounds in response to efforts of the Qataris. 

"In response to Qatari efforts, 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," said Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida in a statement, as per CNN.

As per the information released by the Biden administration, Hamas still holds 10 US nationals as hostages in Gaza. It also says the Hamas has also killed at least 32 Americans in its October 7 attack in which it carried out massacres across southern Israel as thousands of rockets also rained across Israel. 

Following the release of two hostages, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted, "Today, two American citizens who Hamas had held hostage since carrying out its appalling terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7 were released. They are now safely in the hands of Israeli authorities in Israel and a team from the U.S. embassy will meet with them shortly

"But there are ten additional Americans who remain unaccounted for. Some are among the 200 hostages that we believe are being held by Hamas in Gaza. Every single one of them should be released...While I cannot share the details of those efforts, the urgent work to free American citizens and other hostages continues, as does our work to secure safe passage out of Gaza for Americans trapped there."

Hamas has been accused of using hostages as a leverage in the ongoing fighting and as a human shield as well. It has also been accused of atrocities against hostages, which include children as well, as videos have shown injured and dead women hostages being paraded in Gaza. In one widely shared video, a seemingly dead woman, identified as a German national, was being paraded in a truck in a semi-naked state amid celebratory cheering in Gaza. 

The Times of Israel reported that it was a unilateral action by Hamas and did not involve any quid pro quo mechanism. The move has also been linked to a public relations (PR) exercise as Hamas has widely been condemned across the world for its October 7 massacres in southern Israel, details of which still continue to emerge.

The ToI also reported that the release could also be an attempt to build a momentum towards supply of relief supplies to Gaza, where a humanitarian crisis is worsening by the day. Following the October 7 attack, Israel laid "complete siege" on Hamas-controlled Gaza and shut all water, electricity, and fuel supply. Gaza depended on Israel for around a third of water requirements. 

Since then, it has also been carrying out an aerial bombing campaign to take down Hamas facilities and leaders but widespread civilian casualties, including several hundreds of children, have also taken place. Latest figures released by Gazan authorities say at least 4,100 have been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza and more than 13,000 have been injured. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are displaced in the region because of the fighting and the region is very low on food, medicine, and fuel supplies. Even though a deal has been reached to deliver humanitarian aid in southern Gaza through the Rafah crossing at the Egypt-Gaza border, no aid has so far crossed over as outstanding issues remain. 

"Israeli officials cited by several Hebrew media outlets stressed that the Hamas decision was made unilaterally and that Jerusalem didn’t offer anything in exchange. At the same time, unconfirmed media reports tied the release to the expected entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing," reported ToI.

The issue of hostages has been central to the Israeli plans for any ground offensive into Gaza. Experts have said that the possibility of hostages being executed, as Hamas has threatened, or hostages coming in between the fighting and getting harmed would be damaging for the Israeli and Western cause, so that's why a ground offensive has not yet started.