releases.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced on October 20 that two Americans held hostage by Hamas have been handed over to Israeli authorities. (Video: Washington Post)

Hamas releases American hostage mother and his two daughters

A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday that Hamas militants have released his mother and daughter, who are American citizens, into Israeli custody. President Biden said he was "overjoyed" with the return of two hostages, among the hundreds captured in a massive cross-border attack on October 7. Earlier in the day, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres visited the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, standing by aid trucks he said were still blocked from reaching Palestinians who have “no food, no medicine, no fuel.” He described the trucks as a “lifeline” for nearly 2 million people in Gaza under siege and Israeli strikes, adding that “we need to make them move.”

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President Biden says he’s ‘overjoyed’ about return of American hostages

Two American hostages released to Israel, prime minister’s office says

President Biden said Friday that he received a “commitment” from Israel and Egypt that the Rafah... Skip to end of carousel

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An Israeli strike damaged Gaza’s historic Church of St. Porphyrius, which was sheltering hundreds of Palestinians displaced by the war, according to religious officials. Rescuers were still digging through the rubble after Thursday’s strike, which the Gaza health ministry said killed at least 16 Christians. The Israeli military said it was aware of reports of casualties and was reviewing the incident. Palestinian officials said Israeli strikes have killed 4,137 people in Gaza and wounded roughly 13,200. At least 1,400 people have been killed and more than 4,500 injured in Israel since the October 7 Hamas attack, according to Israeli authorities. At least 32 Americans were killed. President Biden spoke from the Oval Office on Thursday, announcing that Washington continues to support both Israel and Ukraine as the Biden administration prepares to submit an emergency budget request to Congress to support both countries. He reassured Congress and the American people that it must be done. Israeli attacks "continue across the Gaza Strip, including in the south," the UN human rights office said on Friday. Israel had previously asked more than 1 million Gaza residents to evacuate to the north. The United Nations also said it was "deeply concerned about the rapid deterioration of human rights."

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Written by Andrew Chong

soul hub reporter

The United States and the European Union on Friday condemned Hamas's "brutal terrorist attack," reaffirmed Israel's right to self-defense, called for the immediate release of hostages and expressed support for a two-state solution. The two leaders also said in a joint statement that the "worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza" is a cause for concern, adding that "this is important to prevent escalation in the region." Banking group Citi on Friday fired a New York-based woman who made "outrageous" anti-Semitic comments on an Instagram Story captured and shared by the X (formerly Twitter) StopAntisemitism account. announced. "We condemn anti-Semitism and all forms of hate speech and will not tolerate it at our bank," Citi said in a statement. is preparing for an invasion, let's see what a ground battle would look like in the densely populated Gaza Strip. Read more about why Israel and Hamas are at war.

Hostages: Israeli authorities say Hamas militants have kidnapped around 200 hostages in a highly coordinated attack. With the two American hostages freed, families of other hostages are hopeful for the safe return of their loved ones.

Humanitarian Aid: President Biden has called on authorities to allow humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip across the Rafah border, as U.S. aid faces hurdles in reaching people in need. The United Nations and other charities are also calling for a ceasefire that would allow aid to civilians. The Gaza Strip has been under lockdown since the October 7 Hamas attack.