Shaun King, an American writer, recently claimed that he played a significant role in securing the release of two Americans, Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie, who had been held in Gaza under the custody of Hamas. However, the family of the released hostages has strongly refuted King’s assertions, stating that they have no connections with him.
Judith and Natalie were handed over to the Israeli military after their release from Hamas’ custody on Friday. King took to Instagram to share his involvement in their release, expressing gratitude for the Qatari government’s assistance in securing their freedom. In his post, the writer King mentioned that the Raanan family had been his supporters and had participated in protests against police violence in the United States.
However, the family of Judith Raanan rejected King’s claims, categorically stating that he was not involved in their release in any way. They emphasized that they had no direct or indirect connections with Shaun King and denied any involvement with the matters he claimed to represent.
Natalie Raanan, the teenager who was held captive in Gaza along with her mother, disclosed that she had never come across Shaun King’s name or his posts until she was released and had access to a phone to check the news. She expressed shock upon discovering King’s claims about their situation.
Hamas, the Palestinian organization that controls Gaza, had released the two American citizens, a mother and her daughter, for humanitarian reasons and to counter claims made by the United States government, particularly President Joe Biden’s administration. Hamas stated that the allegations against them were false and unfounded.
Notably, the release of Judith and Natalie Raanan comes in the wake of an attack by Hamas on Southern Israel on October 7, during which approximately 200 people were abducted. While the Raanan family has been reunited, many others who were taken during the attack remain in captivity.
Shaun King’s claims of facilitating the release of Judith and Natalie Raanan have been contradicted by the family of the released hostages. They disavow any connection to King and maintain that he played no role in their release from captivity in Gaza. The situation raises questions about the accuracy of King’s statements regarding his involvement in this humanitarian matter.
