The family of an American prisoner responds to Shaun King's assertion that they celebrated their release from Hamas, saying, "We make it obvious. Notably, the Israeli military welcomed Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie, 17, following their release on Friday.

Shaun King, an American writer and social activist, has claimed that he congratulated the release of the two American hostages who were freed from Hamas prison in Gaza. Notably, the Israeli military welcomed Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie, 17, following their release on Friday. Hamas has disclosed that it had freed the hostages out of consideration for other people.
"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 Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless," Hamas had written.

"Natalie Raanan, a teenager, and her mother were just set free by Hamas. I appreciate it. Natalie and her family have supported me, as I mentioned last week, and they have participated in our protests against police brutality in America. I also appreciate the Qatari government's assistance in the negotiations. Many of us hurriedly labored behind the scenes to make this happen. I spoke with Natalie's family this afternoon, and they are eager for additional information," King wrote.

The relatives of the American captives categorically denied any connections to or affiliation with King. He received a "liar" slur from the family, who angrily denied his assertions.

"We make it quite evident that he is lying right away! He has nothing to do with our family, either directly or indirectly, and never has. Not to him and not to everything he purports to stand for, the family declared.

"Natalie told us that this morning it was the first time in her life that she came across Shaun King's name and his posts, after she finally got a phone call after two horrific weeks in captivity in Gaza, and was looking for what was written about her while she was away," the family said.

However, 200 or so people who were kidnapped on October 7 during a Hamas terrorist attack from Southern Israel have still not been freed.