Father of Released Hostage Natalie, 17, Says She 'Sounds Very Good'
U.S. citizens Natalie Shoshana Raanan and her mother, Judith Tai Raanan, 59, were released into Israeli custody on Friday after being held hostage by Hamas for nearly two weeks
GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL
Natalie Shoshana Raanan and her mother Judith Tai Raanan were released by Hamas into Israeli custody on FridayHours after two U.S. citizens who were held hostage in Gaza for nearly two weeks were released into Israeli custody, their family is speaking out.
The two Illinois residents, identified as mother and daughter Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Shoshana Raanan, were released Friday after spending 13 days in Hamas’ custody following the Palestinian militant group's deadly attacks on Oct. 7, according to NBC News. The pair had been staying on a kibbutz in southern Israel when Hamas attacked and they were taken hostage.
GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL
On Friday, hours after the Raanans' release, Judith’s ex-husband and Natalie’s father, Uri Raanan, spoke to the media and shared that he had talked to his daughter and that “she sounds very good.”
“She looks very good. She was very happy. And she’s waiting to come home,” Uri added of the 17-year-old.
As for Judith, 59, he said she “has a little scratch on her hand, but she told me it’s nothing. She’s okay.”
Uri said he had also been in contact with President Joe Biden and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and had thanked them both for their efforts in bringing his family members home.
He said of Biden, “He was very, very nice.”
Uri added that he’s hopeful his ex-wife and daughter will be back home by next week — just in time to celebrate a special occasion.
“Hopefully I’m gonna see them next week. Next week is Natalie’s birthday, on the 24th. And we’re going to celebrate her birthday here, in my home.”
He also said that he’ll finally be able to sleep well after two weeks of worry. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” he said.
In a statement, Biden confirmed the pair's release and thanked the “government of Qatar and the government of Israel for their partnership” in securing the safe transfer of the two women.
“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,” Biden's statement continued.
“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.”
NBC correspondent Martin Fletcher said during an appearance on The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle Thursday that the two women — who he did not name at the time — were members of his wife's family.
“We talk about six degrees of separation. So Israel’s a tiny country with only one or two degrees of separation," Fletcher said. "I just found out today that two of my wife’s family are among the hostages."
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Judith and Natalie Raanan were safely transferred into Israeli custody on Friday after spending nearly two weeks as hostages of HamasNever miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He continued: “So we know that what we’ve found out about Hamas, that they were told to kill the difficult ones and to use the rest as human shields. So this is very personal."
"They’re from Evanston, Illinois. They’re Americans. They were visiting their grandmother for her 85th birthday. And they were last seen with their hands tied, being dragged away by the Hamas terrorists," he said.
Hamas confirmed the release of the Ranaans in a statement, according to CNN.
“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,” the statement said, per the outlet.
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