KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas on Friday freed an American woman and her teenage daughter it had held hostage in Gaza, Israel said, the first such release from among the around 200 people the militant group abducted during its Oct.
The two Americans, Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie, were out of the Gaza Strip and in the hands of the Israeli military, an army spokesman said,. Hamas said it released them for humanitarian reasons in an agreement with the Qatari government.
The family heard nothing from them since the attack and were later told by U.S. and Israeli officials that they were being held in Gaza, Natalie’s brother Ben said.“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.
Speaking to lawmakers about Israel’s long-term plans for Gaza, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant laid out a three-stage plan that seemed to suggest that Israel did not intend to reoccupy the territory it left in 2005. The humanitarian crisis worsened for Gaza’s 2.3 million civilians, as workers along its border with Egypt repaired the border crossing in a first step to bring aid to Palestinians running out of fuel, food, water and medicine.
Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals were rationing their dwindling resources, as authorities worked out logistics for a desperately needed aid delivery from Egypt. Work continued Friday to repair the road at the Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza that had been damaged in airstrikes. Trucks unloaded gravel, and bulldozers and other equipment was used to fill in large craters.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, which has a massive arsenal of long-range rockets, has traded fire with Israel along the border on a near-daily basis and hinted it might join the war if Israel seeks to annihilate Hamas. Iran supports both armed groups.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israel-Hamas war: Ground invasion of Gaza loomsIsrael pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes Thursday, including in the south where Palestinians were told to take refuge, and the country's defense minister ordered ground troops to “be ready” to invade, though he didn't say when.
Read more »
Israel-Hamas war: Ground invasion of Gaza loomsIsrael pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Thursday, including in the south where Palestinians were told to take refuge, and the country's defense minister told ground troops to “be ready” to invade, though he didn't say when.
Read more »
Israel pounds Gaza, evacuates town near Lebanon ahead of expected ground offensive against HamasIsrael bombarded Gaza early Friday, hitting areas in the south where Palestinians had been told to seek safety, and it began evacuating a sizable Israeli town in the north near the Lebanese border, the latest sign of a potential ground invasion of Gaza that could trigger regional turmoil.
Read more »
Israel bombards Gaza with airstrikes 2 weeks into the war against Hamas:updatesIsrael is bombarding Gaza and evacuating a sizable town near the Lebanese border in the latest sign of a potential ground invasion of Gaza that could trigger regional turmoil.
Read more »
Breaking news updates: Israel bombards Gaza with airstrikes 2 weeks into the war against HamasIsrael is bombarding Gaza and evacuating a sizable town near the Lebanese border in the latest sign of a potential ground invasion of Gaza that could trigger regional turmoil.
Read more »
Israel doesn't plan to control 'life in Gaza' after destroying Hamas, defense minister saysIsrael's defense minister said Friday that after the country destroys the Hamas militant group, the military does not plan to control 'life in the Gaza Strip.' Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's comments to lawmakers were the first time an Israeli leader discussed its long-term plans for Gaza.
Read more »