Hours after two U.S. citizens who were held hostage in Gaza for nearly two weeks werereleased into Israeli custody, their family is speaking out.
The two Illinois residents, identified as mother and daughter Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Shoshana Raanan, were released Friday after spending 13 days in Hamas’ custody following the Palestinian militant group’sdeadly attacks on Oct. 7, according toNBC News. The pair had been staying on a kibbutz in southern Israel when Hamas attacked and they were taken hostage.
GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL
On Friday, hours after the Raanans’ release, Judith’s ex-husband and Natalie’s father, Uri Raanan, spoke to the media and shared that he had talked to his daughter and that “she sounds very good.”
“She looks very good. She was very happy. And she’s waiting to come home,” Uri added of the 17-year-old.
As for Judith, 59, he said she “has a little scratch on her hand, but she told me it’s nothing. She’s okay.”
Uri said he had also been in contact with President Joe Biden and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and had thanked them both for their efforts in bringing his family members home.
He said of Biden, “He was very, very nice.”
“Hopefully I’m gonna see them next week. Next week is Natalie’s birthday, on the 24th. And we’re going to celebrate her birthday here, in my home.”
He also said that he’ll finally be able to sleep well after two weeks of worry. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” he said.
In astatement, Biden confirmed the pair’s release and thanked the “government of Qatar and the government of Israel for their partnership” in securing the safe transfer of the two women.
“Jill and I have been holding close in our hearts all the families of unaccounted for Americans. 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.”
NBC correspondent Martin Fletcher said during an appearance onThe 11th Hour with Stephanie RuhleThursday that the two women — who he did not name at the time — were members of his wife’s family.
“We talk about six degrees of separation. So Israel’s a tiny country with only one or two degrees of separation," Fletcher said. “I just found out today that two of my wife’s family are among the hostages.”
Judith and Natalie Raanan were safely transferred into Israeli custody on Friday after spending nearly two weeks as hostages of Hamas.Go Fund Me
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He continued: “So we know that what we’ve found out about Hamas, that they were told to kill the difficult ones and to use the rest as human shields. So this is very personal."
Hamas confirmed the release of the Ranaans in a statement, according toCNN.
source: people.com
