Key takeaways:
- Two U.S. hostages, a mother and daughter, were released by Hamas.
- The release was announced by the Israeli prime minister’s office and confirmed by former Israel-based NBC correspondent Martin Fletcher.
- It is unclear if the hostages were released as part of a prisoner exchange or if any other conditions were met.
Two U.S. hostages, a mother and daughter, have been released by Hamas, officials announced Friday. The freed hostages were identified as Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Shoshana Raanan, according to a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office.
The release of the hostages was announced by the Israeli prime minister’s office and confirmed by former Israel-based NBC correspondent Martin Fletcher a day after he went public and said on MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle” that two members of his wife’s family were being held hostage by Hamas.
The developments come nearly two weeks after Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, carried out a brutal terror attack in southern Israel, igniting a war. A message posted to a Hamas-affiliated Telegram channel said the release was made for “humanitarian reasons.”
The hostages were reportedly taken into custody by Hamas and then transferred to Israeli forces led by Gen. Gal Hirsch. They were then taken to a military base deeper into Israel where they were reunited with worried family members.
Additional details about the release weren’t immediately available. It is unclear if the hostages were released as part of a prisoner exchange or if any other conditions were met.
Be First to Comment