Two American hostages abducted by Hamas terrorists in early October have been released, Fox News reported Friday.
“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 terror group said in a statement.
Armed terrorists from Hamas took at least 203 people – including young children and the elderly – captive and killed hundreds more during the early-morning launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Oct. 7.
The deadly raid – which started when Hamas stormed through the border crossing between southern Israel and the Gaza Strip and launched thousands of rockets in the space of just a couple hours – kicked off the Israel-Hamas war that has since kiled over 1,400 Israelis.
Since the start of the conflict, Israeli officials have vowed to wipe out Hamas while also working to rescue the hostages, many of whom were believed to be held in the terror cells tunnel system underneath Gaza.
At one point, Hamas suggested that the hostages could be exchanged for the approximately 6,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
The group also stated that over 20 hostages had been killed by Israeli airstrikes, but did not provide further details.
Israel subsequently announced that its formidable blockade of the Strip would not end until all the hostages were released.
On Oct. 20 – nearly two weeks after the initial Hamas attack – the Israel Defense Forces also confirmed that more than 20 of the hostages were under the age of 18, with another 10 to 20 over age 60, the Wall Street Journal reported.
At the time, the IDF also said it had reason to believe that the majority of the hostages were still alive – though they were still scanning the Gaza border for bodies of missing Israelis, spokesperson Rear Amd. Daniel Hagari said at a press conference, per the Times of Israel.
Several hostages were believed to have been taken from attack of the Tribe of Nova music festival in the southern Negev, where 260 people were gunned down when Hamas stormed the outdoor concert area.
One of the festival captives, Mia Shem, appeared alive in a brief clip on Oct. 16 and detailed a harrowing three-hour surgery in Gaza before begging for her release.
“They are taking care of me, giving me medicine, everything is fine. I only ask that they bring me home as soon as possible to my parents, to my siblings,” the 21-year-old pleaded.
“Get me out of here as soon as possible. Please.”
The families of the hostages have spoken out frequently both individually and through Bring Them Home Now, an organization that was created to represent the loved ones of the missing.
Amid their agony, many of them expressed frustration with the Israeli government.
“Every second, every second, that our children are there is one second too much, and yet all [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu talks about is ‘winning the war,’” Hadas Kalderon, whose son, daughter, mother, and niece were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, told the Washington Post.
On Oct. 18, Kalderon learned that her mother, Carmela, and her niece, Noya, were both dead. There was still no information about her son, Erez, 12, or her 16-year-old daughter, Sahar.
“We are simple people; we are good citizens. We gave whatever we could to our country. It’s the Israeli government that just forgot us,” she lamented.
With Post wires