president biden did speak withjudith and natalie raanan on the phone from the oval office. me that he hoped that natalie will be back here in chicago next week for her 18th birthday but that it has been really difficult for the community to fully celebrate their return because there are extended members of there are extended members of the family who are still unaccounted for in gaza. in the past couple of hours, the pentagon has confirmed that the us is sending a high—altitude defence system called thaad and additional patriot missile defence batallions to the middle east. the us defence secretary, lloyd austin, said they're deploying the missile defense systems to protect us forces in the region. mr austin also said he was placing additional troops on prepare—to—deploy order. the pentagon has already placed some 2,000 troops on a heightened state of readiness, in case they need to deploy to the region. joining me is bradley bowman who is the senior director of the center on military and political power at the foundation for defense of democracies. thank you forjoining us.

judith tai raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, natali shoshanna raanan are american israelis. natali just graduated high school. they live outside chicago. they were taken hostage while visiting families at the kibbutz near the gaza strip. >> i can't speak to their condition, first out of respect for their privacy, second, because we haven't had a chance yet -- maybe it's happening as we speak -- to get our own team in there to see them, to evaluate them, and, most importantly, to reunite them with their loved ones. >> reporter: the release was first announced by the hamas military spokesman, who said the group freed the mother and daughter for humanitarian reasons, and to disprove what he called false and baseless claims about the group by president biden. earlier today there were signs that negotiations were making progress when israel confirmed that of the more than 200 hostages, the majority are still alive and in gaza. israel said 20 are under 18, and between 10 and 20 are over 60. it's a strong indication israel has received proof of life and that information is flowing.

judith and her daughter, natalie raanan. back to the house.y next guest voted against jim jordan in all three ballots. mike kelly. mike, before we get into this, let's talk about the photograph, the impact of us. we know what hamas is trying to do. is it a step in the right direction? obviously we want all the hostages back. just your initial feelings on this. >> it's a great start. we have to get to a finish on this. most of us and all of us, all americans understand what's going on right now. charles, we have to protect our citizens whether they're at home in the united states or overseas. there's no reason for this to go on. i would say to people, please, this is not the time, the place or the challenge that we want this. it's not necessary. there's no reason for any of our american citizens to be taken hostage. there's no reason for them to be held any length of time other than the fact for people to position themselves. that's not right. >> charles: let's talk about the speaker's race here. i consider you a straight shooter and jim jordan

they are natalie raanan and judith, her daughter.were taken from kibbutz nahal oz on october 7. they were both hiding in a bunker in a house where they were visiting relatives and the last we saw am of them was footage shot byhamas of them being taken across the order border. it would appear that jude sit not in good health and wasn't before she went to gaza and they're saying they've released her and her daughter on humanitarian grounds. they are now on their way to a military base in central israel. we'll talk plenty more about that through the course of the program. around the world and across the u.k., you're watching "bbc news." let me just quickly bring you up to speed with other stories in the u.k. the, conservative suffered two heavy bi elections last night. the party made history in mid bedford scheyer, winning the seat for the first time. labor is redrawing the frill map. the conservative cheryl said the results were disappointing. the office for national statistics say net borrowing last month was 14.3 billion pounds. many

i should note we are standing by right now to hear from natalie raanan's father, who is going to held press conference just moments after getting that news. natalie and her mom, judith, are the first hostages to be released since this war began. all this comes as the secretary of state antony blinken says ten additional americans are still unaccounted for tonight. in an update, israel said the majority of the hostages, they do believe, are still alive, offering hope to other families who are desperately awaiting l word of their loved ones. judith and natalie were visiting a kibbutz near gaza when that kibbutz came under attack on october 7th. >> my father got a chance to talk with natalie, and i know judith's family got a chance to talk with judith. at least from my father, natalie is doing well, is composed. i just want to thank the biden administration for their wonderful work, as well as the qatari government. i also want to thank everyone throughout the country who has been praying for our family. >> i should note, we've been covering this story. judith was here to celebrate her m

this is what freedom first looked like for judith and natali raanan as hamas handed them over to the international red cross in gaza. the mother and daughter were back in israel friday and shortly after spoke with president biden. >> i hope you're both not only feeling good but in good health as well. >> yes, sir, yes, we are, and thank you very much. >> reporter: he said he was able to hear his daughter's voice after two week of sleepless nights. >> she sounds very good, she looks very good. she was very happy, and hshe's waiting to come home. >> reporter: this raanan's travelled to israel right before the october 7th attack to celebrate the 85th birthday. they were kidnapped from a kibbutz. >> i'm not house right now, there are ungunshots and explosions outside. >> reporter: natali's stepbrother hopes the pair will be back in time to celebrate natali's 18th birthday on tuesday. >> when natali and judith are reunited with us, it's not over. there are still hostages. we care just as deeply about those families as we do our own, because we know the pain of what's happened, and we know

just looking at a photograph of judith and natalie raanan. it's a two... its quite dark.d there will be no resolution until the house has a speaker. this afternoon, things seemed to go from bad to worse. the hardline republicanjimjordan lost a third vote to become speaker. in fact, he went backwards. 25 of them voted againstjordan — three more than in the second vote. behind closed doors, republicans then voted to ditch him as their candidate. that leaves the republican conference without a nominee more than two weeks after the ousting of kevin mccarthy. they will return on monday to start the process again. smack bang in the middle of a crisis. our us political reporter, anthony zurcher, joins us live from washington. what are the republicans saying about what they do next? what the 're about what they do next? what they're going — about what they do next? what they're going to _ about what they do next? what they're going to do _ about what they do next? what they're going to do next - about what they do next? what they're going to do next is i about what they do next?

i should tell you that their names arejudith raanan and natalie raanan from illinois and they were kidnappedbbutz nahal oz on october the 7th. they were handed over to the israelis on the edge of the gaza strip and taken to the military base somewhere in the middle of the country where family members will be waiting to meet them and at the end of a statement from the prime minister's office it says the prime minister's office it says the government of israel, the israeli army and the entire security establishment will continue to operate with the best of their abilities to locate and return all of the abductees home. one thing said earlier in the day by an israeli military official is at some of the small limited operations conducted in the gaza strip by the israeli military are to gain intelligence where hostages might be. ., ~' , ., , intelligence where hostages might be. . ~ , ., , . intelligence where hostages might be. . ~' i” , . ., intelligence where hostages might be. . , . ., ., be. thank you very much for that. i can tell you — be. thank you very much for that. i can tell you from

natalie raanan and her mother judith, banked by israeli soldiers, emerged into israel after negotiationstar. they had come from chicago to visit family in israel when they were taken by hamas. their release, said the international red cross, was a sliver of hope. when president biden was here earlier this week, the release of the hostages was one of his priorities. antony blinken, the us secretary of state, went to qatar, which also hosts a hamas office. qatar's connections were crucial. ., , ., crucial. good afternoon, everyone. about an hour _ crucial. good afternoon, everyone. about an hour ago, _ crucial. good afternoon, everyone. about an hour ago, two _ crucial. good afternoon, everyone. about an hour ago, two american | about an hour ago, two american citizens held by hamas since october the 7th were released. these two americans are now safely in the hands of israeli authorities in israel. 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. in tel avi

over the weekend, hamas in gaza releasing two american hostages, judith and natalie raanan.s brokered by qatar and facilitated by the red cross. it spawned hope in israel for the other 200 hostages held by hamas. a daily protest outside the military headquarters growing overnight. this woman's daughter was one of those taken. have you been here every day? >> we are here every day. since last saturday. >> reporter: now concern is growing. are you nervous? are you scared now because israel is closer to this invasion? >> yeah. of course, of course i'm scared. because what does that mean? i don't know where is my daughter. nobody knows. >> reporter: nobody does know. in fact, this is where the families of the hostages have been camped out now. we understand that israel has not yet decided when exactly to launch that incursion into gaza. there are a host of reasons for that. first is the welfare of those hostages, echoed strongly by u.s. officials in the u.s., and of course concern over igniting a regional war and concern over mounting casualties. gio? >> gio: absolutely, matt. l

rabbi meir hecht in illinois knows bothjudith and natalie raanan personally.e spoke to me after the news of their release. judith prays every week in our congregation, for every sabbath, every holiday, and we miss her and she's been a part of our congregation in such an important way, and as a family friend, someone who would come to our home every sabbath, parade around the house with our baby and bring over gifts for the children. really, our hearts are filled with gratitude to almighty god for this miracle. and again, we continue to pray and ask everyone to pray for the release of the other 200—plus hostages in the hands of hamas terrorists. and what more can you tell us aboutjudith and natalie? as you say, they're members of the congregation there. what kind of women are they? what kind of role do they have in the community there? judith and natalie are really special people. judith is the most kind, giving, sharing, generous person, someone who is always first to be there for other people in their time of need. she is a woman who would, as i said, come ov

judith raanan and natali raanan. you can see them here.e. i believe they are with israeli security forces. joining me now are nbc news correspondent hala gorani and john brennan, senior national security analyst for msnbc. i want to start with you, hala, because this is a major development in terms of two american citizens being released by hamas. on the ground there, what does it seem to bode for whether or not we will see a major ground incursion in the next couple days? >> reporter: that's a good question. will it delay it, will it change the strategy on the ground as far as the israeli military is concerned? because two hostages were released today, but about 200 remain. and this is really due to the mediation of qatar, that has spoken with israel, that allows hamas to maintain a political base in doha, that sends hundreds of millions of dollars a year to the gaza strip, joy, and so it wouldn't have taken much effort for qatar to get these two american hostages out. the fact that they're american, in fact, is quite significant. we hear

. >> word of judith and natalie raanan's really, natalie raanan's former high school principal putting out a statement saying that that community is thrilled and her father spoke late yesterday, describing what had been sleepless days, saying that this remarkable news that is coming just days before natalie's 18th birthday. >> i've been waiting for this moment for a long time, two weeks, i've not been sleeping for two weeks, tonight i will sleep good. i spoke with my daughter earlier today. she sounds very gun. she looks very good. she is very happy. and she's waiting to come home. i'm going to hug her and kiss her and it is going to be the best day of my life. >> natalie raanan's father, who is judith raanan's ex husband also says that judith apparently has what sounds like a minor scratch on her hand. but again, the pair appeared to be in relatively good physical condition. we are wait to see when they will return to the united states. back to you. >> nbc's jesse kirk, thank you, jessie. we will bring in david rohde, nbc news senior executive editor for national security. he was held

judith and natalie raanan were handed over the gaza border by the is rah i will defense force. >> president biden spoke with judith and natali, and he vowed the full u.s. government as they recover. cnn's kayla tausche has the latest from the white house. >> reporter: president biden speaking by phone with the two hostages freed by hostages, judith and natalie raanan. he said he was overjoyed at their release and was told the call went well. in a statement he said he pledged the full support and said our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and i'm excited that they soon will be returned to their family that has been racked with fear. they'll have the full support of the united states government as they recover and heal and we should all respect their privacy as they recover. it's been weeks of violence and tensions in the middle east, and while there is relief that these two hostages have been freed, there are still ten american hostages who remain, according to the administration, and secretary of state antony blinken said the work to free them will continue.

of course now it has been confirmed as judith and natalie raanan. was told they were handed over to the red cross. which operates in gaza. their a relatively independent organization as far as any organizations are independent in the gaza strip. and they were driven south. there are two crossings out of gaza into egypt and into israel. and so we know that very quickly from the time that we learned that this was happening, they did get out and they were handed over to israeli authorities. the israelis say they were taken to a military base. we heard from secretary blinken who said they will be visited soon by u.s. embassy officials and given anything that they need. the priority is on getting them home as soon as possible so they could reunite with her family. here is more of what blinken had to say. >> welcome their release and we share in the relief that their family and friends and loved ones are feeling. but there are still ten additional americans who remain unaccounted for in this conflict. we know that some of them are being held hostage by ha

judith raanan and natalie raanan for evanston, illinois, were kidnapped during the october 7th, terroristsrael being re, night with family members. just in the last few minutes, president biden spoke with the raanan family from the oval office. and last hour, secretary of state antony blinken, who has repeatedly called out hamas' reliance on humans as shields, spoke about the horrors felt by the families and loved ones of those taken. >> i was in israel last week. i met with the families of u.s. citizens that hamas has taken hostage. president biden, too, had the opportunity to hear directly from the families. it's impossible to adequately put into words the agony they're feeling of not knowing the fate of their loved ones. worrying relentlessly about them, for their safety, security, wellbeing. no family anywhere should have to experience this torture. >> and in a press conference in israel, spokesperson for the idf sought to remind the world not to be tricked by today's move. arguing that while hamas presents the hostage release as a humanitarian gesture, in reality what we're dealing w

both american, mother and daughterjudith and natalie raanan had been held hostage for nearly two weeksisrael shared of them after they were freed by hamas. they were handed over to the red cross in the gaza strip on friday. both hamas and president biden have said that qatar played a role in mediating their release. israeli officials say the pair are now in israel and are being being reunited with theirfamilies. the mother and daughter were kidnapped during the surprise attack by hamas on the 7th of october from the nahal 0z kibbutz. originally from illinois, they were in israel visiting family. hamas said the pair were freed for "humanitarian reasons".

officials are very loathe to share any detailed information about how exactly judi and natalie raanan's release was able to be secured. >>> mj, thank you very much. natalie's brother ben is outfront, talking to us tonight. we talked days ago. you were talking about your sister who loved art. she wants to be a tattoo artist, maybe and you were praying to have a chance to hug her again, and wow, what a night. how did you find out they were freed? >> i found out from the news. this all moved so quickly that i was getting texts from reporters i had met with, saying this happened. i believe it's because, you know, the government didn't want to call us before it had been confirmed. it was just a surreal thing. i was taking the first two hours of the day before i jumped on all of these things i've been doing for natalie, just for my myself. i was playing a video game and all of a sudden i'm getting the texts that they are coming back. sgloost my goosh, it's incredible to find out that way. just as you said, everything comes together at the last second. when you see the picture, just the one pi

the country where they are being reunited with family members and we have had a statement from natalie raanan'sl and happy, he extremely joyful and happy, he thanks, extremelyjoyful and happy, he thanks, he said that the two cottages have had an initial medical exam by the red cross and he says we are people apiece, seeking the well—being of all people and denounce violence of all people to any human being. he goes on to thank joe biden for his efforts but peter wasjust talking joe biden for his efforts but peter was just talking about the kind of complications, the political trying elation is involved. it is worth noting that every now and again i can hear notjust a sound ofjets flying overhead but the sound of distant bombing in the gaza strip which is about 70 kilometres away. if hamas are demanding an end to the bombing of gaza in order to release further hostages, that is not a very likely prospect. we don't know exactly how qatar managed to engineer this. they said it was through days and days of communication and they are also saying, the qatari foreign ministry, but they have these chan

rabbi meir hecht knows both judith and natalie raanan personally.ith prays every week in our congregation, for every sabbath, every holiday, and we miss her. and she's been a part of our congregation in such an important way, and as a family friend, someone who would come to our home every sabbath, parade around the house with our baby and bring over gifts for the children. really, our hearts are filled with gratitude to almighty god for this miracle. and again, we continue to pray and ask everyone to pray for the release of the other 200—plus hostages in the hands of hamas terrorists. live now to javed ali, a former white house counter terrorism official, now a professor at the university of michigan's gerald ford school of public policy. hejoins us now he joins us now from hejoins us now from michigan where it hasjust hejoins us now from michigan where it has just gone at midnight. thank you so much for staying up late for us. lots of expressions of belief there at these two hostages being released but as the secretary of state said, this is true

that's something we saw happen with judith and natalie raanan last friday.heir family members are waiting for them, we are told. but of course this news is bittersweet for a lot of families out there. a lot of the relatives of other hostages, who still have no news about their loved ones. it is believed to be 218 hostages that are still in gaza tonight. anderson cooper joins me now live from tel aviv. and anderson, i know you got to speak with yocheved's daughter, charone. what did she tell you? >> she's obviously overjoyed about the news about her mom. she was at the airport about to board a flight to come here to tel aviv to see her mom. she's going to be landing shortly, if she hasn't already gotten here. she's obviously thinking very much about her father, who is in custody, and all the other hostage families. let's listen in. >> it's impossible to describe. my mom, i think she had a good smile. i don't know. i'm so delighted. but my heart is with, you know -- this is a small ray of light in a big story that is still unfolding. my father is there. there'

us citizens judith and natalie raanan have been handed over to israeli defence forces.for this mo for i've been waiting for this moment for a long time, for two weeks. i haven't been sleeping for two weeks. tonight i'm going to sleep good. discussions continue over an agreement to allow urgent humanitarian aid into gaza. a summit of middle east and european leaders is being held in egypt. a warning of more flooding — communities in scotland prepare as a second "danger to life" alert comes into effect. three people have died since storm babet hit the uk on thursday, leaving hundreds of homes evacuated and causing widespread disruption on roads and railways. high there. good morning to you. welcome we continue with a very heavy rain and strong winds across the north and east of scotland. the met office have renewed their top tier red warning for rain throughout the day today. so we're likely to see further flooding here. elsewhere, is a gradual improvement. join me later. i'll have all the details. good morning.

. >> reporter: urie raanan says his 17-year-old daughter, natalie raanan, and his ex-wife judith raanane outside chicago. but they were visiting family near the gaza strip. >> she sounds very good. she looks very good, she was very happy. she's waiting to come home. >> we've all missed you so much and hoped you were alive and safe. we know you're so brave and strong. that's how my mom made it through this. >> reporter: the release was first announced by hamas' military spokesman who said the group freed the mother and daughter for humanitarian reason and what they call face and baseless claim about the group made by biden. top negotiators are hoping this is just the beginning. >> but there are still ten additional americans who remain unaccounted for in this conflict. >> reporter: israel confirms the majority of the hostages are still alive in gaza. at least 20 of more than 200 are under 18 years old. >> all of the civilians including the israeli civilians? >> reporter: earlier this week a senior hamas official told nbc news they would be willing to release all citizens and dual nationa

yes, natalie and her motherjudith raanan _ being held? which historically has mediated between israel and hamas, historically has mediated between israeland hamas, it historically has mediated between israel and hamas, it opens for further releases but obviously will be extremely challenging work. tam. be extremely challenging work. tom, for the moment, _ be extremely challenging work. tom, for the moment, thank you _ be extremely challenging work. tom, for the moment, thank you very much. us embassy has set in the last few minutes that the rafah crossing, which connects gaza with neighbouring egypt, could open in the next few hours. what we know is that convoys of trucks carrying crucial supplies acute close to the border and there have been intense negotiations to get aid through. andrew harding spent yesterday following the aid effort in egypt. high above the egyptian desert a consignment of humanitarian aid on its way towards the besieged territory of gaza. this military plane from nearbyjordan has brought medical equipment, including

. >> tonight the family of 17-year-old american natalie raanan and her mother judith feared they are among the hostages. >> we want the u.s. to help us find its citizens judith and natalie. >> these two are natalie's aunt and grandmother. natalie just graduated high school in suburban chicago they were in touch with her as hamas gunmen were outside their door >> were they on the phone or texting you >> they were texting us, because the orders were that no one should speak they should stay quiet so that hamas will not hear them and try to take them hostage. the last text was from natalie at 12:18 noon on saturday saying that they're hearing shooting out of the apartment. we love you all, but we're okay >> later natalie's grandmother went to the apartment she and her mom were staying in >> the door to the backyard was broken. it's glass door, so they broke it, and i think from there they came into the house. >> you've been feverishly making phone calls to israeli and american officials. what have you been able to learn? >> nothing at all. >> nothing >> no one has a hint of what -- where

. >> reporter: two american hostages, a mother and daughter, judith and natalie raanan from evanston, illinois, have been released by hamas. former correspondent martin fletcher, confirmed the news it's his relatives released live during an nbc news special report. >> the hostages are now with the red cross inside israel. >> reporter: the fate of more than 200 other hostages taken by hamas remains unknown. earlier president biden met with representatives from the european union in israel and ukraine. the sitdown a day after the president took his plea directly to the american people that u.s. support for those two allies should not waver. >> i know the conflicts can seem far away. it's natural to ask, why does this matter to america? >> reporter: the president has asked congress to authorize $105 billion in new aid, more than $61 billion would go to ukraine to help in its fight against russia, more than $14 billion would go to israel. the rest would provide humanitarian assistance. >> hamas and putin share this in common, they both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy

. >> reporter: this is the first photo of judith and natalie raanan moments after they crossed the border from gaza back into israel and to freedom. >> we share in the relief that their families, friends and loved ones are feeling. but there are still 10 additional americans who remain unaccounted for in this conflict. we know that some of them are being held hostage by hamas, along with an estimated 200 other hostages held in gaza. >> reporter: hamas said it released the mother and her 17-year-old daughter in an agreement with the qatari government for humanitarian reasons. president biden spoke to the two americans on the phone after their release, assuring them the u.s. government will fully support them. >> i've been waiting for this moment for a long time, two weeks. i haven't been sleeping for two weeks. tonight i'm going to sleep good. i spoke with my daughter earlier today. she sounds very good. she looks very good. she was very happy, and she's waiting to come home. >> reporter: saturday marks two weeks since the massacre that began the war. now the question remains when will isr

just did raanan and her daughter, natalie, 17, were released tonight. they were in israel visiting natali's grandmother when terrorists broke in. the 17-year-old texted family about the militants outside, that they were going to try to protect themselves in the safe room, that they could hear the shooting. but the terrorists got in and kidnapped them and took them to gaza. now 14 days later, this image tonight. just moments after they arrived in israel, 17-year-old natali on the left, her 59-year-old mother judith. in the middle, that's israel's chief hostage noeshgts. we learn a short time ago president biden has spoken with the mother and daughter, as they recover now. the president still hoping for the safe return of the other americans being held, and of course all of the hostages. hamas holding more than 200 hostages in all. the american mother and daughter from the chicago area, this image of them right after natali's high school graduation. she's about to celebrate her 18th birthday next week, and this unbelievable turn tonight. they are safe. th

judith and natalie raanan were visiting relatives when the fighting started two weeks ago. the pair crossed back into israel today. that's the good news. their release was apparently part of an agreement with qatar. about 20 minutes ago, we heard from natalie's father, who says he's spoken briefly with his daughter. she and his ex-wife are both seemingly in good health. >> lots of phone calls in israel. been glued to the tv for two weeks hoping for good news. finally it comes. i'm going to hug her and kiss her, and it's going to be the best day of my life. >> it's going to be a joyous reunion. he said his daughter should be home in the chicago area by next week, just in time perhaps to celebrate her 18th birthday. >>> we're also hearing now from governor newsom, who landed in israel earlier today. he visited a hospital and spoke with a woman from california who was shot during a missile and grenade attack. the governor says california will be sending medical supplies to israel. >>> back here at home, more rallies, more prayers, and more emotion. among the two big rallies to

friday's release of two american hostages judith and natalie raanan raised hopes other captives may be freed but the number was raised to 212 spread out and hidden away as israel prepares for an unprecedented ground invasion. former major general israel ziv commanded israeli forces in gaza. what about the safety of the hostages? >> it is a big issue. it's a very big issue. you know we have facilitated the unique management command just for that purpose with the best minds, best technology, the best people. we will do everything you know to rescue them. but we will not stop the war. >> reporter: israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu rallied troops close to the front line today, maurice, saying we are in a battle for our lives, a battle for our home. it is not an exaggeration. it is do or die and they need to die. >> charlie d'agata, thank you. >>> today israel ordered more evacuations along its border with lebanon, a potential second front in the war against islamist militants, these backed by iran. cbs's ian lee has more tonight on the threat of a wider conflict. >> reporter: israe

embassy sharing this picture of judith and natalie raanan speaking with president biden by phone.estimated 200 more people including americans who were kidnapped from israel remain captive. >> janai: all of this amid that looming israeli ground assault on gaza that we've been telling you could happen at any time. we'll have more on all of that in just a moment, but we begin with the latest developments. the rafah border crossing's limited re-opening. this coming, of course, after those numerous delays to let desperately needed aid flow to palestinians running short of food, medicine, and water, but no evacuations of hundreds of foreign passport holders waiting to leave gaza. abc's matt rivers joins us live from cairo with more. good morning, matt. >> reporter: good morning, janai. right now leaders from around the world meeting here in cairo in what's being called a peace summit to try and come up with a long-term solution to this crisis, but i can tell you that as this goes on at the border, as we see what's happening at rafah, there remain major concerns, even if some aid has fo

three days ago americans judith and natalie raanan were released.nowledge of the talks describing to nbc news intense, daily dialogue with many ups and downs. >> how did it feel when you learned two american hostages -- >> okay. all my body was like this. i was shaking. >> reporter: the family of annan alexander, a new jersey high school graduate serving as an israeli defense force soldier. >> i just hope that they will bring him home and my soul will come back to me. >> reporter: the small gulf nation, qatar, is mediating the hostage crisis, talking directly to both hamas and israel we're told. those conversations gained momentum after secretary blinken visited qatar on october 13th but went quiet after the gaza hospital explosion days later. now what the diplomat with knowledge of the talks calls an olive branch, the release of judith and natalie raanan. then the first trucks of food and supplies into gaza. this morning israel warning a full ground invasion is coming, the need to free the hostages, ten of them u.s. citizens, oppressing diplomatic

american israeli hostages judith and natalie raanan spoke to president biden on saturday after beingamas. they were abducted in the terror attack two weeks ago in southern israel. >> hi, judith. >> hello, mr. president. >> i am so glad you're home. not home, i'm glad you're out. >> thank you so very, very much. >> hey, natalie, how are you? god love you. >> i appreciate your support for israel. >> according to the israeli military, 212 hostages are still being held captive, at least 30 of them under the aim of 16. the first 20 trucks carrying aid moved through the rafah border crossing from egypt into gaza saturday, but did not include fuel critical to keeping hospitals running and water. president biden and his top aides have been urging leaders against carrying any major strike against hezbollah and lebanon which could bring israel into a two-front war and a growing threat to iran. on wednesday at least two dwoens targeted garrison in southern syria, injuring several u.s. personnel. drones targeted bases with u.s. troops in iraq this week resulting in several more minor injuries. t

and those two freed hostages, judith and natali raanan from chicago, are extended members of martin's own family. good morning, martin. i'm sure you're breathing a sigh of relief that the two of them are okay. how are they doing? have you been able to hear word? >> well, we know they're resting. they're in a family member's house in israel, and they're sitting shiva in the morning, mourning for two other members of the family that were killed. great relief, obviously, but great concern, as well. it's another eight members of the family who are still held hostage in gaza. >> is there some hope now that some hostages have been released, is that the feeling that maybe there are more to come? >> i can't tell you how many messages i'm getting from people saying thank god your family is out. can you help with my family? there's hope that there's more negotiations going on. there must have been some kind of deal to let judith and natali out. everybody wants to get in on the deal. >> do you have any insight into why it was they were the two that were selected? >> i don't. i don't. everybody i

judith raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, natalie, had come to israel to celebrate the 85th birthday israeli officials say they were kidnapped by hamas gunmen from the nahal oz kibbutz not more than a few hundred yards away from gaza during the militant group's murderous rampage on october 7th. >> these two americans are now safely in the hands of israeli authorities in israel. we welcome their release. we share in the relief that their families, friends, and loved ones are feeling. but, there are still ten additional americans who remain unaccounted for in this conflict. we know that some of them are being held hostage by hamas, along with an estimated 200 other hostages. >> reporter: meir hecht is their rabbi in evanston, illinois. >> this news that judith and natalie have been released from the hands of gaza hamas terrorists is overwhelming, and really, we have this tremendous gratitude to god. >> reporter: the breakthrough came tonight when hamas announced it was releasing the two americans on humanitarian grounds, following negotiations through qatari mediators. later confirmed

natalie raanan and her mother, judith, who are from the chicago area, where in israel to celebrate a 85th birthday. the 17-year-old's father tonight telling cbs news his daughter is doing okay. this picture just released shows president biden speaking on the phone with them, saying they have the full support of the u.s. government as they recover from the unimaginable. there are still about 200 hostages from about 40 countries being held in gaza. and tonight, the border crossing with egypt remains closed, despite an agreement to allow much-needed humanitarian aid into the region. the secretary of state saying he expects we will "see that moving soon." we have team coverage tonight, starting with cbs's charlie d'agata in tel aviv. good evening, charlie. >> reporter: good evening to you norah. and an israeli spokesman said tonight the two women are safeln the hands of israeli troops. personnel from the red cross helped escort them from gaza into israel. relatives of other captives here welcomed their release, peeling for more hostages to be freed. judith raanan and her 17-year-old daug

judith and natalie raanan are dual us and israeli citizens and we're visiting relatives. they were handed over to israeli forces and taken to a military base to be reunited with family members. they are now under the care of israeli defense forces. natalie is just 17. her father said that he talked to her on the phone for a couple of minutes and cannot wait to see her again. >> i did not sleep at night and my head always been in israel. lots of phone calls in israel, lots of tvs. i've been glued to the tv for two weeks hoping for good news. finally it came. >> he says his daughter told him that she and her mother were treated well while they were held captive. and there are still roughly 200 hostages being held by hamas and other militant groups. qatar egypt and other countries are among those working to get them released. the president says that ten americans also remain unaccounted, wanted for more than 5500 people have died in the violence, including those who died in a deadly blast at a hospital in gaza. governor gavin newsom made a brief stop in israel on his way to

operation in gaza, where she was held captive for more than three weeks in chicago , israeli american natalie raanan has returned home. she and her mother were among the first hamas hostages freed when we celebrating the return of natalie back to her home in chicago, we have to remember that there's still 239 hostage bodies in the hands of hamas in the gaza strip. on the war front , a relentless exchange of rocket fire between israel and hamas. israel rejecting calls for a cease fire just as the united states would not agree to a cease fire after the bombing of pearl harbor or after the terrorist attack of 911. >> israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with hamas. >> the white house supporting israel. >> but what we have said should be considered and explored are temporary, localized humanitarian pauses to allow aid across gaza civilian suffering. >> unicef reporting more than 400 children in gaza are killed or injured daily. the palestinian red crescent says 26 more aid trucks crossed into gaza monday amid concerns about worsening sanitarian conditions. and meantime, the pentagon repor

a relative of judith tai raanan and natalie raanan who are believed to be held by hamas but alive, accordingeli government, tells cbs news the zoom meeting "was positive, reassuring, and that the president shared our pain." mr. biden, interviewed by scott pelley for sunday's "60 minutes" discussed his attempts to get them out. >> to those holding american hostages in gaza, you say what? >> i say we're going to do everything in our power to find them, everything in our power. and i'm not going to go into the detail of that, but we are working like hell on it. >> reporter: there is military personnel at the u.s. embassy in jerusalem working directly with the israelis to locate the american citizens. they include 23-year-old hersh goldberg polin who was at the music festival attack on saturday and last seen near the gaza border. plus 19-year-old itay chen and 21-year-old omer neutra whose families are from the new york area and who are members of the israeli military. their relatives believe they have been taken hostage. why do you feel so strongly about speaking to these families personally on

. >> names judith and natalie raanan relatives of martin fletcher nbc news former foreign news chief.ring you an nbc news special report when it begins. two week since the terror attack that sparked this war. joining us now nbc news foreign correspondent josh lederman in tel aviv, israel. a major deal. how are these two doing? what do we know about their release and where they are right now? >> reporter: we know they are safely on israeli territory. the israeli military saying after hamas released these two americans, they were met at the gaza border by israeli military forces who are now in the process of bringing those americans to a military site in the center of israel where their relatives are waiting to receive them. clearly that will be quite a reunion after two weeks in which these two americans were among, we believe, about 200 people. some of them american. a larger number israelis, held hostage in the gaza strip by the hamas terrorist organization. these are the first two hostages that we know of who have been released since the beginning of this crisis, and while we still

a relative of judith tai and natalie raanan are believed to be held by hamas but alive.bs news the zoo meeting was positive, reassuring and that the president share in our pain. mr. biden, interviewed by scott pelley for sunday's "60 minutes" discussed his attempts to get them out. >> to those holding american hostages in gaza, you say what? >> i say we're going to do everything in our power to find them, everything in our power. and i'm not going to go into the detail that but we are working like on it. >> reporter: military personnel working directly with the israelis. they include 23-year-old hersh goldberg polin who was at the music festival attack on saturday and last seen near the gaza borders. classic itay chen. their relatives believe they been taken hostage. why do you feel so strongly about speaking to these families personally on zoom? >> because i think they have to know that the president of the united states of america cares deeply about what's happened, deeply. we have to communicate to the world this is critical. this is not even human behavior. it's pure

mother and daughterjudith and natalie raanan are now the first hostages to be freed since hamas's deadlyarlier this month. originally from illinois, they were in israel visiting family. hamas says they were released for humanitarian reasons. the ranaan family said the women's release was a moment of extraordinary relief. but they said they remain focused on the efforts to secure the return of eight other family members that remain captive in gaza. 0ur north america correspondent nomia iqbal is in chicago, where she has been talking to family and neighbours of the released hostages. this close—knit community here in evanston, it's the suburb of chicago wherejudith and natalie are from — it's just been terrific watching the last two weeks unfold. and to know that the people they love and care for are involved in that has been indescribable for them. i'm in the area where the family's local rabbi lives, and he's been leading prayers and services for them, and it's just absolute relief that they are ok. i spoke to, as you mentioned there, uri ranaan, natalie's father. he said he had a two—mi