A few hours after receiving the decision Hamas Following the release of two American citizens, Judith and Natalie Raanan, a mother and daughter, the latter’s father, Uri Raanan, said they were healthy, happy and eager to return home.

“Today I talked to my daughter. Sounds great, looks great. “She was very happy and looking forward to coming home,” he said at a news conference in Bannockburn, Illinois, where they live.

He explained that his ex-wife had a “little scratch on her arm” but “no big deal, she’s fine.”

A spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced this Friday the release of two American hostages who were in Israel visiting relatives. for “humanitarian reasons” after mediation by Qatar.

He said they made the gesture to “demonstrate to the American people and the world that the statements of (US President Joe) Biden and his fascist administration They are false and unfounded“.

After their release they were subjected to underwent medical examinations and received a phone call from President Biden. The US Embassy in Jerusalem posted a photo on the social network X (formerly Twitter) showing two women with smiling faces talking on the phone with the president.

.@POTHUS spoke this evening with two American citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas. We are so grateful they are safe.
We will continue to do our best to connect all hosts with their loved ones. pic.twitter.com/rp1YDtB8Zu

— US Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) October 20, 2023

Also in X, Biden himself published a photograph in which seems to be talking on the phonewith a big smile, from the Oval Office.

“I just spoke with two Americans who were released today after being held hostage by Hamas. I let them know that their government would fully support them as they recovered and recovered.. Jill (First Lady) and I will continue to hold all the families of missing Americans in our hearts,” the President said.

Uri Raanan explained that his daughter did not tell him anything about the two weeks she spent in detention since Hamas militants launched a wave of surprise attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip, and They kidnapped more than 200 people of different nationalities.. The event that caused Israel to declare war.

According to Raanan, it is expected that Both women will return to the United States next week.. “Hopefully I can see them next week” and celebrate Natalie’s 18th birthday, which is next Tuesday.

In a conversation with the media, Raanan explained that he first learned about the release when he began receiving photographs from Israeli television channels on his phone and that shortly after the IDF called him saying that they were going to meet their daughter and her mother.

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In a statement, Biden celebrated the release and said he would not stop until the remaining hostages were freed.

“From the first moments of the attack, we worked day and night to free Americans held hostage by Hamas, and we haven’t stopped our efforts to achieve the release of those who are still in custody,” he explained.

The release came two days after Biden visited Israel to show his country’s “unwavering” support and defend the right of Israelis to defend themselves.

Except, He compared Hamas to the terrorist group Islamic State (IS). and assured that the “atrocities” committed by the Palestinian organization make Daesh (another name for IS) look more rational.

The exact number of hostages is unknown. with US passport in the hands of Islamists in Gaza. There are currently 13 Americans missing and thirty dead after the attack, which killed more than 1,400 people on Israeli soil.

The Palestinian group also kidnapped 250 hostages – 200 it said were in its hands and 50 people are being held by other Palestinian militias– although the Israeli army has reduced this number to 203. (EFE)