Erasing Palestine

Omar Suleiman

• The spokesman of Hamas’s military wing says the group has freed two US captives “for humanitarian reasons”.
• US President Joe Biden says he is “overjoyed” by release of Americans, thanks Qatar and Israel for their “partnership” in efforts to secure release of others still held in Gaza.

• More from Blinken: Aid to Gaza will be ‘moving soon’

  Blinken says getting humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt has been a priority for the Biden administration in its regional diplomacy.

  “My expectation is that you’ll see that moving soon,” he said.

  Israeli officials had declared a complete siege on Gaza and repeatedly bombed the Rafah crossing.

   

  Blinken thanks Qatar, offers few details on negotiations

  Blinken has thanked Qatar for its role in the release of the two US citizens, but he declined to offer details on negotiations around the captives held by Hamas.

  “All I can say with regard to Qatar is in this instance, we very much appreciate their assistance,” he told reporters.

  “We want to focus on making sure that we’re getting those who remain hostage back home with their loved ones.”

  Biden ‘overjoyed’ by release of US captives

  Biden has confirmed that the two US captives were freed by Hamas in Gaza, saying that he was “overjoyed” by their release.

  “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,” the US president said in a statement.

  “These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal.”

  He expressed gratitude to Qatar and Israel for their effort in releasing the two women.

  More US citizens are still believed to be held by Hamas.

  Israel identifies freed captives

  Israel also has identified the two freed captives as Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17, several news outlets have reported.

  US, Europe pressuring Israel to delay ground invasion to secure captives’ release: Bloomberg

  The US and European governments have put pressure on Israel to delay its ground invasion of Gaza to “buy time for secret talks underway via Qatar” to secure the release of captives, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter.

  The negotiations with Hamas “are delicate and may fail”, the sources told Bloomberg.

  “But they said there are signs the group might agree to let at least some of the civilians its fighters captured in the deadly October 7 raid go without demanding Israel release any prisoners in return,” the report said.

  Ten Americans remain unaccounted for: Blinken

  Blinken welcomes the release of two US citizens by Hamas, but he said that 10 Americans remain unaccounted for.

  “We know that some of them are being held hostage by Hamas, along with an estimated 200 other hostages held in Gaza,” the top US diplomat said.

  He pledged that the entire US government will work “every minute of every day” to secure their release.

  US Secretary of State Blinken speaking to reporters after captives’ release

  Antony Blinken is delivering remarks in Washington, DC.

  • Captive release underscores Qatar role in mediation

    Qatar’s foreign policy has for years focused on mediation, with US officials immediately identifying Qatar as a regional broker in the Israel-Hamas war.

    Hamas maintains a political office in Qatar, with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani telling reporters on October 13 that the office has been key in “keeping the communication open” during the war.

    It comes after Qatar helped to broker a deal between Russia in Ukraine in securing the return of four Ukrainian children. Qatar also helped to broker the release of US journalist Peter Theo Curtis, held in Syria in 2014.

    In the past, Qatar has hosted reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah, the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization that dominates the West Bank, as well as US-Taliban and inter-Afghan peace talks.

    The Gulf country has also recently worked as go-between as the US and Venezuela have sought to thaw ties.

    Release of US captives came after days of communication: Qatar official

    Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said that the release of two US captives in Gaza came after “many days of continuous communication” with all parties.

    Majed al-Ansari told Reuters that Qatar hopes dialogue will lead to the “release of all civilian hostages from every nationality”.

    ICRC says ‘helped facilitate’ captives’ release

    The International Committee of the Red Cross has said that it helped to contribute to the release of two captives by Hamas.

    “The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) helped facilitate this release by transporting the hostages from Gaza to Israel, underscoring the real-life impact of our role as a neutral actor between the warring parties,” the organisation said in a statement.

    Biden discusses Gaza aid with Netanyahu: White House

    Biden has spoken with Netanyahu again, discussing “plans to begin moving humanitarian assistance into Gaza from Egypt”, the White House says.

    “The President reaffirmed the United States’ support for Israel’s right to defend itself and obligation to protect its citizens, while underscoring the importance of operating consistent with the law of war to include the protection of civilians in Gaza caught in the conflict launched by Hamas,” the White House said.

    Biden, who visited Israel earlier this week, has been in regular contact with Netanyahu.

    Most US voters favour ceasefire in Gaza: Poll

    Most US voters, including an overwhelming majority of Democrats and most Republicans, favour calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, a new poll has shown.

    Overall, 66 percent of respondents said the US should push for a ceasefire, according to the poll by Data for Progress. That includes 80 percent of Democrats, 57 percent of independents and 56 percent of Republicans.

    The poll surveyed 1,329 likely voters.

    At the official level, calls for a ceasefire in Washington have been confined to a small group of progressive lawmakers so far. President Biden and most Congress members have argued that Israel should press on with its war to prevent future attacks by Hamas.