Unlock Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, editor of the FT, picks her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Hamas has released two US hostages it captured during its devastating attack on Israel nearly two weeks ago. This came as part of intensive diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East conflict and provide humanitarian assistance to the civilian population.
The women – named by the Israeli prime minister’s office as mother and daughter Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Shoshana Raanan – were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nahal Oz in southern Israel on October 7, in the deadliest attack on the country in its history represented 75 years of history.
Their release follows a turbulent visit by US President Joe Biden to Israel this week, ahead of a possible ground invasion of Gaza by Israeli troops, aimed at destroying Hamas’s ability to launch terror attacks but risking an expansion of the war and further harm to the civilian population.
Biden had put the release of American hostages high on his agenda since the start of the war – and said on Friday he was “overjoyed” that they would be reunited with their families.
The president also said the U.S. “has not given up on our efforts to secure the release of those still detained” and thanked Qatar and Israel “for their partnership in this work.”
“We will continue to fight until victory,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday. “Two of our abductees are at home. We are not giving up our efforts to return all abducted and missing people.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later told reporters that 10 more Americans were “missing” in the conflict and “some” were Hamas hostages, along with an estimated 200 others being held in Gaza.
Blinken had discussed the issue in talks with the prime minister of Qatar as part of a tour of the region ahead of Biden’s visit. Qatar is a US ally and also hosts Hamas’ political office.
Israel has confirmed that at least 203 people were taken hostage in the raid. Hamas previously claimed that its militants were holding about 200 hostages in Gaza and that there could be up to 50 prisoners from other groups in the coastal enclave.
A person briefed on the negotiations said Hamas acted unilaterally, suggesting no agreement had been reached between the militant group and Israel.
The person said the release was a first step as talks continued about releasing more civilians. Previously, Hamas had wanted Israel to stop bombing Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza, the Financial Times reported.
During his trip to Israel this week, Biden helped broker a deal with Egypt to allow up to 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip – but the shipments have not yet started crossing the border, raising concerns that they could be delayed or blocked. But on Friday he said they would arrive in Gaza in the next few days.
“The highway had to be replaced because it was very bad – in very bad condition. And I believe that within the next 24 to 48 hours the first 20 trucks with aid will come through,” Biden said during his meeting with EU leaders at the White House.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said Hamas had handed over the two hostages to the Gaza Red Cross and that the breakthrough was the result of “many days of continuous communication between all parties involved.” .
“We will continue our dialogue with both the Israelis and Hamas and hope that these efforts will lead to the release of all civilian hostages of all nationalities, with the ultimate goal of de-escalating the current crisis and restoring peace,” he said.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said the couple were met at the Gaza border by security forces and Gal Hirsch, the Israeli official responsible for managing the hostage crisis. They were now on their way to a military base in central Israel where they would meet their relatives.
Recommended
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israeli military spokesman, said the country would “continue to do everything possible to locate the missing and return all prisoners home.”
“Hamas is now presenting itself to the world as if it is returning prisoners for humanitarian reasons, when in reality it is a murderous terrorist organization that is currently holding babies, children, women and the elderly captive in the Gaza Strip,” said he.
Asked whether the release was part of an agreement to allow humanitarian aid to enter the strip, which Israel has besieged since the Hamas attack, Hagari said the return of the prisoners remained a top priority, but “we think so.” “We are still at war with Hamas.”
He added that the border crossings from Egypt and Israel into Gaza were still closed and he would inform the public if there was a change.
The Forum for Hostages and Missing Families, a group set up to represent relatives of those captured during Hamas’ attack, said it “welcomes the release of the hostages from Hamas captivity.”
Additional reporting by Mehul Srivastava in Tel Aviv