Update: The Israeli prime minister’s office has confirmed the release of Judith Raanan and her daughter, Natalie, on October 20, per NBC News.
Israeli Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch greeted the mother and daughter at the Gaza border. The duo were escorted to a military base and reunited with family, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said.
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The two had been taken hostage by Hamas on October 7.
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GAZA CITY, GAZA: Relatives are expressing deep concern about the whereabouts and safety of Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Raanan, a mother and daughter from the Chicago area who were visiting family in Israel. They are now among the missing Americans who are feared to have been abducted by Hamas.
Hamas, a Palestinian militant group controlling the Gaza Strip, launched thousands of missiles on Israeli cities and captured over 150 hostages over the weekend.
Israel, in response, bombed Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially declaring war against Hamas. The ongoing fighting has resulted in a significant loss of life, with the death toll reaching around 1,100, while violence continues to erupt in cities.
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Where are Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Raanan?
Judith and Natalie were in Nahal Oz, a small village near the Gaza Strip, when Hamas invaded and destroyed multiple towns on Saturday, October 7. Judith’s brother and Natalie’s father expressed their deep concern as they have not heard from the duo since the incident and fear they may have been abducted by the militant group.
This fear is compounded by harrowing videos and images circulating of Hamas kidnapping women during their coordinated assault. In a desperate Facebook post, father Uri Raanan wrote, “My daughter and her mother have been [captured] by HAMAS.”
Adi Leviatan, Judith’s brother, added that his sister and niece had arrived in Israel the previous Monday, and he has not received any communication from them since the weekend’s violence, CNN reports.
US Veterans prepare for rescue mission
Officials have announced that a team of US veterans is being prepared to fly out to assist in rescuing the trapped Americans in Israel. The US Embassy has urged American citizens to prepare for emergency evacuations.
Meanwhile, the family has maintained contact with the US Embassy, which is actively working to confirm the status of Americans currently reported missing in Israel.
President Joe Biden has confirmed that at least 11 Americans were killed as a result of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel. However, officials have not disclosed how many US citizens are currently unaccounted for.
Earlier on Monday, the State Department had reported nine known American casualties. “We can confirm that there are unaccounted-for US citizens, and we are working with our Israeli partners to determine their whereabouts,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
As of now, neither the identities of the Americans killed in the conflict nor those who are missing have been officially released by US officials.
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