US races to free more hostages as Israel prepares for ground invasion of Gaza

The first aid trucks carrying food, water and medicine began entering Gaza on 21 October

The release of two American hostages held by Hamas has magnified a race against the clock to secure the release of others,and evacuate Americans in Gaza ahead of Israel’s likely ground invasion that could complicate those efforts.

Two weeks after Israel launched a total siege of Gaza following Hamas attacks, the first aid trucks carrying food, water and medicine began entering the region on 21 October. The convoy came one day after President Joe Biden’s administration confirmed the release of two US-Israeli dual citizens kidnapped by Hamas earlier this month.

The release of Judith Ranaan, 59, and her daughter Natalie Raanan, 17, signified a breakthrough in the crisis as US officials seek the release of roughly 200 other hostages from 40 countries including ten Americans who remain unaccounted for, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Mr Biden spoke with the newly-freed hostages and their family members on Friday and offered the US government’s full support “as they recover from this terrible ordeal,” according to the White House.

As Israel’s defence officials prepare for a ground invasion of Gaza, a joint US-European statement warned of a “deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza” as regional partners underscore the urgent “importance of protecting civilians, supporting those who are trying to get to safety or provide assistance, and facilitating access to food, water, medical care and shelter”.

The aid trucks that arrived on Saturday are expected to begin a train of relief into the occupied Palestinian region of more than two million people, including hundreds of thousands displaced after Israel’s assault. The Biden administration has announced $100m in humanitarian aid.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the trucks’ arrival an “important first step that will alleviate the suffering of innocent people” as global aid groups warned that more help is needed.

The Biden administration said that its top priority remains the release of American hostages. The president has previously spoken with families of Americans believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas after the group’s attacks that killed hundreds. Mr Biden also spent several hours speaking with families of Israeli hostages and families of victims during his visit to Israel on Wednesday.

“We will not stop until we get their loved ones home,” Mr Biden said in a statement this week. “I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans held hostage around the world.”

Natalie Shoshana Raanan, left, and Judith Tai Raanan speak with President Joe Biden on 20 October after being held hostage and later released by Hamas (US Embassy in Jerusalem/AFP via)

Secretary Blinken said on Friday that “the urgent work to free every single American, to free all other hostages, continues, as does our work to secure the safe passage out of Gaza for the Americans who are trapped there”.

A number of factors could complicate those international efforts including Israel’s continued airstrikes in Gaza, the impending ground invasion, and an evolving understanding of the number of hostages and which groups are holding them. Several militant groups are involved, according to The Washington Post, citing three people briefed on the negotiations.

Many hostages may be trapped along with other Gaza residents in the densely-populated enclave with food, water and fuel scarce or nonexistent under Israel’s ongoing blockade and aerial bombings.

Among the mediators working to secure hostages’ release is the International Committee of the Red Cross. Fabrizio Carboni, the organization’s regional director for the Near and Middle East, told The New York Times they had met with Hamas officials over the past week but “considering the level of violence in Gaza, I see it as extremely complicated for us to do our work”.

The Biden administration deployed longtime state department official Steven Gillen to lead hostage recovery efforts from Israel.

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to streets across the US, Europe and Middle East to demand an immediate ceasefire. Several Democratic members of Congress have also introduced a resolution supporting “an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.”

Longtime state department official Josh Paul, who resigned this week in protest, told The Independent that officials have consistently ignored mounting concerns about the Biden administration’s response to the Gaza crisis.

More than 4,300 people in Gaza have died with more than 13,000 injured within two weeks, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Among the dead are reportedly 1,765 children.

Israel’s military personnel and tanks have amassed at its border, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant instructed service members this week to “get organized, be ready” for deployment. Israel’s military also plans to increase strikes on Gaza starting on Saturday, according to a spokesperson.

While the US has supported evacuation efforts for Americans in Israel through Ben Gurion Airport as many as 600 Americans remain trapped in Gaza without a way out.

The state department anticipates that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt – where aid is currently passing through – “will remain fluid and unpredictable” as people try to flee.

“If you assess it to be safe, you may wish to move closer to the Rafah border crossing – there may be very little notice if the crossing opens, and it may only open for a limited time,” according to the State Department.

Advocacy groups and legal teams across the US told The Independent this week that they are working to free those Americans, who have reported frantic attempts for assistance through embassies across the region to no avail.

The Independent has requested comment from the US State Department.