Joe Biden's Conversation with Two Released American Hostages; Israel: Operations Against Hamas Will Continue

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, announced that he spoke on the phone with Judith and Natalie Renan, an American mother and daughter released by the militant group Hamas. Meanwhile, Israeli officials stated that the release of these two hostages would not affect the country's military operations against Hamas. Mr. Biden wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he informed them that the U.S. government would fully support them until they recover and regain their health. This mother and her 17-year-old daughter were taken hostage along with over 200 others following Hamas's attacks on southern Israel on October 6, while they were visiting relatives. Ten members of their family have also been taken hostage by Hamas militants. After announcing the release of this mother and daughter, Biden stated, "I am glad about this event and I reiterate that as President, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans taken hostage around the world." The U.S. President announced that the released hostages and their families would receive full support from the U.S. government, adding, "We are working around the clock for the release of American citizens taken hostage by Hamas, and we will not stop our efforts to free those still in captivity." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also welcomed the release of these two American citizens in a statement on Friday, October 20, saying that the U.S. government would continue to work for the release of other American hostages in Gaza. Mr. Blinken added, "From the very early hours of this crisis, the President has made it clear that he will do everything possible to secure the release of any hostage." He also thanked the government of Qatar for its assistance in the release of these two American citizens. Blinken noted, "However, ten other Americans remain unaccounted for in this conflict. We know that about 200 people have been taken hostage." He concluded his statement by saying that the U.S. government would continue its efforts to free other American hostages in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also stated that efforts to free more hostages would continue and emphasized that Israeli forces "will continue to fight until victory." Senior Israeli officials told the news website "Wynet" that the release of the two American hostages would not affect Israel's military operations against Hamas, which controls Gaza. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Hamas militant group claimed that the release of these two hostages was meant to "prove to the American people and the world that the claims of the U.S. President and his fascist government are false and baseless." During the Hamas militants' attack on Israel on October 6, at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and over 200 Israeli civilians and military personnel, as well as foreign nationals, were taken hostage by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with little information available about the status of most of them. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad are listed as terrorist organizations by the U.S. and are supported financially and militarily by the Islamic Republic.