A mother from Evanston and her daughter who were visiting Israel are missing, and family members fear they have been seized by Hamas militants.
Natalie Raanan, 18, and her mother, Judith, 59, have not been heard from since around noon Saturday, the day Hamas launched its offensive, according to family. They were last in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz about 1.5 miles from the Gaza border that was attacked by militants.
The two U.S. citizens landed in Israel in early September to celebrate the High Holidays and visit relatives, said the family, adding they want the United States government to do everything in its power to secure their release.
Judith Raanan is a member of Chabad of Evanston, which posted a message Sunday on Facebook asking the community to pray for her and her daughter.
Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein, the executive director of Chabad of Evanston, said Judith and Natalie Raanan are valued members of their community.
“Her eyes always glowed,” Klein said about Judith Raanan, who he has known for 15 years. He recently pulled out a painting she made for him as a reminder of her.
“Even in difficult moments for her, she is always positive and always has hope,” he said. “She has an infinite hope for a better tomorrow. She has the resilience and fortitude to overcome this difficult moment.”
Klein said Natalie is a bright, inquisitive and charming young woman.
“People have told me she is a person who is a true friend, a person who is there for her friends, who is loyal and committed,” Klein said.
Chabad Co-director of Community Outreach Rabbi Meir Hecht said Judith Raanan has been a faithful congregant for a decade.
“She’s an exceedingly warm, kind, giving, generous woman,” Hecht said. “She was always involved in helping people and being there to show support whenever someone needed a shoulder to lean on. She’s a really kind woman.”
Chabad of Illinois hosted a prayer vigil Monday night in Skokie for the people of Israel. Hecht said that about 1,000 people attended.
“We all have people who we know and friends of friends who are in Israel in places that have been attacked by Hamas, and the pain is just unbelievable,” Hecht said, adding that small gestures from friends and loved ones can help show solidarity with the community.
“One thing we can do is pick up a phone and call any Israeli who we know and tell them we are there to support Israeli people,” Hecht said.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., whose district includes Evanston, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., have contacted the State Department to find out if the women were abducted and if so, to get them to safety.
Hamas and other militants in Gaza say they were holding more than 130 soldiers and civilians captured from inside Israel.
Around 900 people, including 73 soldiers, already have been killed in Israel, according to media reports. In Gaza, more than 680 people have been killed, according to authorities there; Israel says hundreds of Hamas fighters are among them. Thousands have been wounded on both sides.
On Monday, President Joe Biden announced the U.S. death toll in the war has gone up to 11 and an undetermined number remain unaccounted for. It was not yet clear if the missing are dead, in hiding or have been taken hostage.
Biden said the U.S. believes it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held hostage by Hamas, but officials are working to confirm that.
“I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts,” Biden said in a statement.
Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua told the AP that the group’s fighters continued to battle outside Gaza and had captured more Israelis as recently as Monday morning.
He said the group sought the release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, which in the past has agreed to lopsided exchange deals in which it released large numbers of prisoners for individual captives or even the remains of soldiers.
Among the current captives are soldiers and civilians, including women, children and older adults, mostly Israelis but also some people of other nationalities.
On Sunday, the U.S. dispatched an aircraft carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel and said it would send additional military aid.
Rabbi Hecht said the Jewish people are resilient and will overcome the challenges before them.
“People should know that no matter how much suffering the people of Israel are going through, the Jewish people and the land of Israel stand strong and proud, and we will win this because we are going to continue bringing light to the world,” Hecht said. “By doing that, we will overcome all the enemy’s attempts to eradicate our people and our land.”
Contributing: Associated Press
