Hamas has just freed two American hostages. 

The hostages, according to Fox News, have been identified as Judith and Natalie Raanan.

The 17-year-old Natalie and her mother Judith were taken by Hamas when the group carried ought its terrorist attack on the Israeli people on Oct. 7, 2023.

CNN reports, "The Raanans are from Chicago and had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, when they were taken hostage on October 7, according to their family."

The first hostages to be released

Natalie and Judith Raanan are the first two hostages to be released by Hamas since the group carried out its attack on Israel. Hamas, in a statement, claimed that it released these two hostages for 'humanitarian reasons."

"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 [President Joe] Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless," the group said on Friday.

It appears as though the release came as the result of negotiations that have been taking place between Hamas and Qatar.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari has confirmed that Natalie and Judith Raanan have been released by Hamas.

The two were released at the Israel-Gaza border. They were then taken to an Israeli military base in order to be reunited with their family.

There are still many more to go

During its initially attack on Israel, Hamas killed over 1,400 people and took roughly 200 more as hostages. It has been confirmed that some of these 200 hostages are Americans.

The latest reports indicate that 10 Americans remain unaccounted for.

President Joe Biden, this past week, said:

There's no higher priority than the release and safe return of all these hostages. To those who are living in limbo, waiting desperately to learn the fate of a loved one, especially to families of the hostages — you're not alone. We're working with partners throughout the region, pursuing every avenue to bring home those who are being held captive by Hamas.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on Friday, confirmed that America is doing everything that it can to free the hostages.

According to Politico, Blinken said:

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 that are trapped there.