The news of the release of two American hostages held by the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip was greeted with great relief by relatives and politicians. The “worst two weeks” of his life had turned into the “best day,” the father of one of the hostages told the US newspaper “Boston Herald.”
At the same time, pressure is increasing on Israel to postpone a ground offensive against Hamas in the hermetically sealed coastal enclave in order to gain more time for the release of further hostages held by Hamas, as the Wall Street Journal reported.
Macron wants to “appreciate” Qatar’s commitment
It was the first release of Hamas hostages in the Gaza Strip since the organization’s terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, in which more than 200 people were abducted, including Germans. Qatar played “a decisive role in the release” of the hostages, wrote French President Emmanuel Macron on the X platform (formerly Twitter). He wanted to “honor” Qatar’s commitment, he wrote, adding that efforts to release the French hostages would continue.
The Israeli military wrote on Telegram the night of the release: “Hamas presents itself to the world as if it returned the women it took hostage for humanitarian reasons, when in reality Hamas is a murderous terrorist organization , which right now is holding infants, children, women and the elderly hostage in the Gaza Strip and continues to commit crimes against humanity.”
Liberated man’s father: “I’m in tears”
Meanwhile, according to the White House, US President Joe Biden spoke with the released hostages – Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan. Biden spoke to them by phone and assured the government’s full support in recovering “from this terrible ordeal.” His daughter is “doing well,” the paper quoted the father as saying. “I’m in tears.” His ex-wife and her daughter were in Israel to celebrate their grandmother’s 85th birthday, the newspaper reported.
