The release of Judith and Natalie Raanan has fueled hope that other Americans held hostage in Gaza may also be freed, but negotiators face numerous challenges.
Chicago-area residents Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie, seen here in an undated photo, were freed on Friday by the armed wing of Hamas. The Friday release of two American hostages by Hamas illuminated what remains a breakneck endeavor within the U.S. government to negotiate the freedom of others still in captivity, amid grim expectations that an impending Israeli ground invasion of Gaza will render those efforts forbiddingly difficult.
When asked by reporters on Friday whether Israel should delay its ground invasion of Gaza to allow time for more hostages to be freed, President Biden replied “yes,” an apparent break with the administration’s previous assertions that it would not dictate the timeline on which an attack should commence. The White House later said the president misheard the question and instead was affirming that he wanted more hostages released.
Overall, about 200 people are believed to be in captivity, the Israel Defense Forces said Friday. Many nationalities are represented, including dual nationals who are also Israeli. Israeli officials have a separate negotiation process for their citizens but are working closely with Americans and representative from other governments.
The person said that in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas assault, U.S. hostage specialists were highly skeptical about their chances of success. The mood changed for the better sometime around last weekend, the person said, declining to be more specific about what caused the shift.
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