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| Judith Raanan, left, and her daughter Natalie, 17 |
The spokesman of Hamas’s military wing says the group has freed two US captives “for humanitarian reasons”.
Release of US captives came after days of communication
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson has said that the release of two US captives in Gaza came after “many days of continuous communication” with all parties.
Majed Al-Ansari told Reuters that Qatar hopes dialogue will lead to the “release of all civilian hostages from every nationality”.
ICRC says ‘helped facilitate’ captives’ release
The International Committee of the Red Cross has said that it helped to contribute to the release of two captives by Hamas.
“The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) helped facilitate this release by transporting the hostages from Gaza to Israel, underscoring the real-life impact of our role as a neutral actor between the warring parties,” the organisation said in a statement.
Biden ‘overjoyed’ by release of US captives
Biden has confirmed that the two US captives were freed by Hamas in Gaza, saying that he was “overjoyed” by their release.
“Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear,” the US president said in a statement.
“These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal.”
He expressed gratitude to Qatar and Israel for their effort in releasing the two women.
More US citizens are still believed to be held by Hamas.
Israel identifies freed captives
Israel also has identified the two freed captives as Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17, several news outlets have reported.
