Following the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have confirmed the release of two United States citizens who were being held hostage by Hamas, and that the duo is now in Israeli troops' hands, as reported by The Times of Israel.
However, the IDF strongly criticised the Hamas terror group for continuing to hold approximately 200 other hostages.
"Hamas presents itself to the world at this hour as one who releases hostages for humanitarian reasons, but in reality, we are talking about a murderous terror group, which at this hour is holding babies, children, women, and the elderly captive," IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.
The two Americans who were released have been identified as Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natali Raanan, both from Chicago, according to CNN.
According to their family, they had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, and they were released on 'humanitarian grounds' due to the mother's poor health.
Furthermore, the release took place as part of negotiations involving Qatar and Hamas, as reported by CNN.
During a press briefing on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed gratitude to the Qatar government for their assistance.
"I wanna thank the government of Qatar for their very important assistance. When I was in Israel last week, I met with the families of US citizens that Hamas has taken hostage," Blinken said.
He also mentioned that US President Joe Biden had the opportunity to meet the family, stating, "...The entire United States government will work every minute of every day to secure their release to bring their loved ones home. They have my solemn pledge, those who continue to have loved ones held hostage by Hamas, that will continue to do that."
The White House also issued a statement on Friday, confirming the release of the Americans who were 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 families 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," the White House statement said.
Moreover, it added that the US has been working around the clock since the beginning of the attack to free American citizens who were taken hostage by the Hamas terror group.
"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," the White House added.
The statement further stated, "As president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans held hostage around the world."
They were handed over at the Gaza border and sent back to be reunited with family, according to Israel's Prime Minister's office.
Following their release, they were handed over to the Red Cross, according to CNN.
IDF spokesperson in a post on social media on Friday said, "Hamas presents itself to the world as having returned the women they took hostage on humanitarian grounds, while Hamas is in fact a murderous terrorist organisation that right now is holding infants, children, women and elderly people hostage in the Gaza Strip and continuing to commit crimes against humanity."
The IDF added that they are still trying to return the other hostages to Israel.
"IDF is still preparing for the next stages of the fighting, which is expected to include a major ground offensive. The fighting is likely to last many more weeks," IDF spokesperson Hagari added.
