Friday, two American hostages were released in Gaza Mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan were held hostage for two weeks by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Diplomacy by the U.S., Israeli, and Qatari governments acting as negotiators brought about the release.
“It’s a chess move,” former special agent Department of State senior advisor Ron Holloway said. “That’s what it is in a game of multi-dimensional chess with an infinite board.”
Working in diplomatic security services Holloway said this release is just a start to a longer process ahead.
“This is an opening of a negotiation,” Holloway said.
President Biden celebrated Friday’s release in a statement saying he is overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family.
State Department Secretary Antony Blinken said the fate of the 10 Americans and other hostages is still unknown.
“Some of them are being held hostage by Hamas along with 200 other hostages,” Blinken said.
Israel confirmed that of the more than 200 hostages, the majority are still alive and in Gaza.
Still, a lot is unknown about the future of the other hostages, but Holloway feels the release of two Americans is a positive sign.
“It’s a good move,” Holloway said. “It’s a game of inches like football. We inched a little closer to peace today. But there is still a big board and a lot of pieces to move around before the game finally comes to an end.”
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