UPDATE, 3:40 p.m.: President Biden released a statement reacting to the release of the hostages.
Today, we have secured the release of two Americans taken hostage by Hamas during the horrific terrorist assault against Israel on October 7. 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. 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. I thank the government of Qatar and the government of Israel for their partnership in this work. Jill and I have been holding close in our hearts all the families of unaccounted for Americans. And, as I told those families when I spoke with them last week—we will not stop until we get their loved ones home. As president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans held hostage around the world.
Original article:
Reports are coming out of Israel that Hamas has released two of the American hostages that terrorists took during its attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. Hamas released the two unnamed hostages, a mother and daughter, on “humanitarian grounds,” according to Fox News.
BREAKING: Two American hostages were released from Gaza, Fox News has independently confirmed
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) October 20, 2023
CNN reports, “The two have been handed over to the Red Cross and are ‘on their way out,’ the source familiar with negotiations said.”
Reports hold that negotiations between Qatar and Hamas resulted in the release of the mother and daughter. It’s not clear yet whether the hostages will be released out of Gaza and into Israel or Egypt.
Sources tell Fox News that the hostages are now under Red Cross care. As of Friday morning, 11 Americans are still unaccounted for, while 32 Americans are confirmed dead. The Hamas terrorist attack on Israel has claimed 1,400 Israeli lives, and terrorists are holding at least 200 Israelis hostage.
As of this writing, there’s no comment from the White House, but when President Joe Biden visited Israel earlier this week, he spoke about efforts to urge Hamas to release hostages.
“To those who are living in limbo, waiting desperately to learn the fate of a loved one, especially to families of the hostages – You’re not alone. We’re working with partners throughout the region, pursuing every avenue to bring home those who are being held captive by Hamas,” the president said on Wednesday in Israel.
The Israeli government hasn’t commented as of this writing.
“In response to Qatari efforts, Al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens (a mother and her daughter) for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless,” Abu Obaida, a spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, said Friday.
This is a developing story, and we’ll have more information as it becomes available.
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