The Evanston mother and her teenage daughter who have been missing in Israel after the deadly attack are alive and among the hostages taken by the militant group Hamas, according to a family member.
The family of Natalie Raanan, 17, and her mother, Judith Raanan, 59, spoke Friday morning with President Joe Biden and U.S. State Department officials who confirmed the news, said Avi Zamir, the husband of Natalie Raanan’s aunt.
Natalie and Judith Raanan have been missing since Saturday after a surprise deadly attack by Hamas near the border of Gaza. Zamir, said he and his wife, Sigal Zamir, last spoke with Natalie after the bombs started falling.
“We don’t have any details as to their condition, but we know they are alive. We hope they are well, and we hope they are together,” Zamir told the Sun-Times. “We are just praying for their well-being and pray for them to have courage.”
The family met with the State Department and other relatives of American hostages on Friday. Biden also joined the Zoom call to speak with the families and hear each of their stories, Zamir said.
“It meant a lot to us for all the other families to come together today. We are now a group of brothers and sisters,” Zamir said. “President Biden really took the time to hear each and every family member, sharing his sincere attention with us. We could tell in his eyes and his face that he really took it to heart.”
Zamir said he and his wife were last in contact with their niece early Oct. 7. She had texted them about the attack and assured them she and her mom were safe, he said, though the room Judith Raanan was sleeping in had been bombed.
The two were in Israel to visit Judith’s mom and Natalie’s grandma to celebrate her 85th birthday and Simchat Torah, the Jewish holiday marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of Torah readings. They were staying in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz near the Gaza border.
Judith and Natalie Raanan were taken to a different house. That was the last time the Zamirs heard from their niece. They later were in touch with Judith’s mom, who was rescued by the Israeli military, Zamir said.
“She was saved by the military, so she assumed her daughter and her granddaughter were also safe. But that was not the case,” Zamir said.
After the attack that has killed more than 1,300 people in Israel, the country formally declared war on Hamas, launching airstrikes into Gaza. About 1,800 Palestinians have been killed so far.
An estimated 150 people were taken hostage by Hamas on Saturday morning. About 17 Americans are currently unaccounted for and could be among the hostages, according to U.S. officials.
“I hope that active measures are taken to quickly release all of the hostages, not just the Americans. It is inhumane to keep them captive. They are just civilians,” Zamir said.
He said he and his family are grateful for the outpouring of concern and support from people across the Chicago area.
“We want to thank people from all over the Chicagoland,” Zamir said. “It’s amazing how people are supporting us, are taking it personally regardless of whether or not they know them.”
Contributing: AP
