The two Americans who were released have been identified as Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natali Raanan, both from Chicago, according to CNN.

Gaza: Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has said in a statement that it has released two American hostages for “humanitarian reasons”, in response to Qatari efforts. The brigades said that it made the move to prove that the US allegations were “false and baseless”. This is the first time that the Gaza-ruling group released hostages since the conflict began almost two weeks ago, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two Americans who were released have been identified as Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natali Raanan, both from Chicago, according to CNN. According to their family, they had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, and they were released on “humanitarian grounds” due to the mother’s poor health.Furthermore, the release took place as part of negotiations involving Qatar and Hamas, as reported by CNN.

The two released were “received on the border with Gaza and are on the way to a military base where they will meet their families”.

In a press release, US President Joe Biden also confirmed his administration secured the release of two American hostages and thanked Qatar and Israel for their partnership in this work.

I just spoke with the two Americans released today after being held hostage by Hamas. I let them know that their government will fully support them as they recover and heal.

Jill and I will continue holding close in our hearts all the families of unaccounted for Americans. pic.twitter.com/oXk6gfrD8M

— President Biden (@POTUS) October 20, 2023

The White House also issued a statement on Friday, confirming the release of the Americans who were taken hostage by Hamas during the horrific terrorist assault against Israel on October 7.”Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear. These individuals and their families will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal, and we should all respect their privacy in this moment,” the White House statement said.

Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli territory, where it seized a large number of hostages.

The brigades previously stated they were holding 200 to 250 captives in Gaza. An Israeli army statement earlier in the day said a majority of the hostages were alive.