EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — The father of freed American teen hostage Natalie Raanan says she’s doing well after her release Friday by Hamas.
The father of freed American teen hostage Natalie Raanan says she’s doing well after her release Friday by Hamas.
Uri Raanan of Illinois told The Associated Press that he spoke to his daughter by telephone. “She’s doing good. She’s doing very good,” said Uri, who lives in the Chicago suburbs. “I’m in tears, and I feel very, very good.”
The 71-year-old said he saw on the news Friday that an American mother and daughter would be released by Hamas, and he spent the day hoping they meant his daughter and her mother, Judith.
Knowing Natalie may be able to celebrate her 18th birthday next week at home with family and friends feels “wonderful. The best news,” Uri Raanan said.
He said he believes Natalie and Judith to be in transit to Tel Aviv to reunite with relatives, and that both will be back in the U.S. early next week.
Raanan was among many celebrating the stunning news that Hamas had freed an American woman and her teenage daughter it had held hostage in Gaza for two weeks.
An Israeli army spokesman said the two Americans were out of the Gaza Strip and with the Israeli military. Hamas said Friday it released them for humanitarian reasons in an agreement with the Qatari government.
