Judith Raanan, a Chicago mother who was abducted by Hamas with her teenage daughter Natalie on October 7th and released after almost two weeks, told NewsNation that when she arrived at a hospital in Gaza, “all the nurses cheered at the sight of Jewish prey.”

Judith, who grew up in Israel, had traveled to southern Israel with Natalie for Sukkos to celebrate her mother’s 85th birthday. The two were staying at a guesthouse in Kibbutz Nachal Oz.

In an interview with NewsNation, Judith said that on the morning of October 7th, she got up early to daven and then went back to sleep and fell into a deep sleep. She was awakened after her mother called her daughter’s cell phone, warning them not to go outside.

Judith got up and started walking toward her daughter’s bedroom and at that moment, a rocket hit her bedroom. They heard gunshots and eventually heard Hamas terrorists speaking Arabic. It was at that point that Judith realized that “she has two minutes to explain to her daughter what’s happening.” She explained that men will be coming in with full military artillery – like in the movies – and not to panic.

Two Hamas terrorists then came in. They tied Judith and Natalie with zip-ties and abducted them at gunpoint through the desert to Gaza. Judith was badly cut when a Hamas terrorist used a sharp knife to cut her zip tie off.

In Gaza, they were taken to a hospital. “All the nurses were standing there and cheering,” Judith said. “They were all so happy that they came back with prey, with Israeli, Jewish prey. Although I told them that I’m an American – but Jewish prey. Like we captured our prey and everyone is very happy about it.”

Judith and Natalie, who are members of the Chabad of Evanston shul in Chicago, were the first hostages to be released from Gaza for “humanitarian” reasons.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)