Update (1428 EST):
Hostages have been identified.
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?????? ???? ?? 59 ???? ???? ?????? ????? 18, ?? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? pic.twitter.com/sPQWQKnZ8V— Itsik Zuarets ????? ????? (@Itsik_zuarets) October 20, 2023
Update (1330 EST): According to Bloomberg, the West is putting pressure on Israel to delay its ground offensive into Gaza in order to buy time for negotiations for more hostages. Hamas can effectively bleed out hostages and indefinitely postpone an Israeli ground response due to the nearly 200 people taken, if Israel acquiesces.
Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades Spokesman Abu Obadiah has announced on his Telegram page that they are releasing a U.S. citizen and her daughter after taking them captive from Israel two weeks ago.
This is the first release of hostages from Hamas.
The announcement reads below:
”In response to Qatari efforts, Al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens (a mother and her daughter) for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless.”
The IDF has reportedly confirmed the release.
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— almog boker (@bokeralmog) October 20, 2023
This is developing.
