Hamas announced the release of two American hostages, a mother and her daughter, who were abducted by the group in early October.

The hostages were released “for humanitarian reasons.”

Judith Raanan and her 18-year-old daughter, Natalie, are on their way to a military base in central Israel to reunite with their family, as confirmed by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

They were transferred from Gaza to the Israeli border with the assistance of the Red Cross. The release was attributed to Judith Raanan’s declining health, as reported by the Times of Israel.

“Today, we have secured the release of two Americans taken hostage by Hamas during the horrific terrorist assault against Israel on Oct. 7,” President Biden said Friday afternoon, the New York Post reported.

“Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear,” Biden said.

“These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal, and we should all respect their privacy in this moment.”

“From the earliest moments of this attack, we have been working around the clock to free American citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas, and we have not ceased our efforts to secure the release of those who are still being held,” he continued.

The Raanans, who hail from Evanston, Illinois, were abducted by Hamas during the incursion into Kibbutz Nahal Oz 13 days ago, as previously reported.

Written by staff