Hamas releases first two U.S. hostages taken in Oct. 7 rampage in Israel

Hamas captors on Friday released a Chicago-area woman and her daughter held as hostages since the Palestinian militant group’s murderous Oct. 7 rampage in Israel, the first Americans known to be released from an operation that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

Judith Raanan, 59, and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, have been moved from Gaza to Egypt in the custody of the Red Cross, Israel state-owned KAN11 News reported Friday.

Israeli officials estimate that Hamas still holds about 200 people, including some foreign nationals, as hostages from the attack. The militant group said only that the Ranaans had been released on “humanitarian” grounds.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed the release in an appearance before reporters at the State Department, but he noted that 10 more Americans remain unaccounted for since Oct. 7 and that at least some are still being held by Hamas.

The mother and daughter had come to Israel to celebrate the 85th birthday of Mrs. Ranaan’s mother, and were among those taken from Nahal Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel near Gaza.

Mrs. Ranaan is an aesthetician. Her daughter graduated from high school this past spring.

Mr. Blinken told reporters on Friday that the two women were in the hands of Israeli authorities. He expected a team from the U.S. Embassy in Israel to see them “very shortly.”

“We welcome their relief. We share in the relief their families, friends and loved ones are feeling,” Mr. Blinken said.

“We know that some of them are being held hostage by Hamas, along with an estimated 200 other hostages,” he said. “Every single one of them should be released.”

In a statement from the White House, President Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden were “overjoyed” at the news of the release, adding, “We have not ceased our efforts to secure the release of those who are still being held.”

“As president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans held hostage around the world,” Mr. Biden said, thanking the governments of Israel and Qatar for their work in obtaining the release of the first two hostages.

Mr. Biden late Friday spoke by phone with the family of the two Americans who were released and, moments later, with the released people themselves.

“He relayed that they will have the full support of the U.S. government as they recover from this terrible ordeal,” the White House said.

Mr. Blinken said he didn’t have information about the condition of the two women who were released or of the other Americans still being held by Hamas.

Members of the family had met with Mr. Biden and other U.S. officials last week, learning at the time that the two women had been taken hostage by Hamas, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.  

Biden administration officials said they have worked “around the clock” to secure the release of the Americans, even as Israel gears up for a widely expected ground offensive into the Hamas stronghold of Gaza.

Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein, executive director of the Chabad of Evanston, told the Chicago Sun-Times that his own contacts in Israel had confirmed the Ranaans had been handed over to the Red Cross.

“The fact that they’re being released is unbelievable,” the rabbi said. “Our prayers worked. While it’s a huge relief, there are still hundreds of other hostages who also need to be released.”

Israel is massing troops along the border with Gaza for what most analysts say will be an eventual ground invasion. Mr. Blinken said he was confident that the Israel Defense Forces would do everything possible to minimize civilian casualties.

“It’s what distinguishes us [and] distinguishes Israel from terrorist groups like Hamas, which not only have absolutely no concern for human life, they use human lives to hide behind,” he said.

The Associated Press reported that relatives of other captives welcomed the release in a statement and appealed for the others still held by Hamas to be freed.

“We call on world leaders and the international community to exert their full power in order to act for the release of all the hostages and missing,’’ the statement said.

Hamas should release the hostages “immediately and unconditionally,” Mr. Blinken said.