Hamas frees 2 hostages; aid enters Gaza via Rafah border
RAFAH, Palestinian Territories — Hamas released two American hostages held in Gaza, offering a “sliver of hope” to desperate families, even as Israel pounded the densely populated territory where millions waited for aid deliveries which began entering this border with Egypt on Saturday. The Islamist group took more than 200 people hostage when it stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7 and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burned to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials. The fate of the hostages has been shrouded in uncertainty, so the release of American Judith Raanan, 59, and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie offered a sliver of hope, said Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Aid enters Gaza US President Joe Biden said he was “overjoyed” by the release, which comes days after he visited Israel to express solidarity and also press for humanitarian aid into Gaza. He said he had spoken to the Raanans and promised support “as they recover from this terrible ordeal.”Meanwhile, a 20-truck convoy delivering humanitarian aid entered the Rafah border crossing from Egypt on Saturday afternoon. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited the border on Friday in a push to get the aid in. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said the delivery included medicine and limited amounts of food as well as life-saving supplies that would be received by the Palestinian Red Crescent. UN officials say at least 100 trucks a day are needed in Gaza to cover urgent needs, and that any delivery of aid needs to be sustained and at scale. Before the outbreak of conflict, an average of about 450 aid trucks arrived there daily. “I am confident that this delivery will be the start of a sustainable effort to provide essential supplies, including food, water, medicine and fuel,” UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement. An advisory Saturday morning by the US Embassy in Israel said the border was expected to be opened at 10 a.m., adding that “We anticipate that many people would attempt to cross should the border open.” ‘Close the hostage file’ But live coverage on Saturday afternoon showed only the trucks moving into the Gaza Strip.Israeli troops are massed on the border with Gaza ahead of an expected ground invasion that officials have pledged will begin “soon.”
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