BBCAn Israeli man captured by Hamas told the BBC that U.S. President Donald Trump has the right to ensure the release of the remaining hostages and end the war in Gaza.
Keith Siegel, 66, was kidnapped by Kibbutz Kfar Aza in an Israeli attack led by Hamas on October 7, 2023. He was released in a ceasefire deal after being imprisoned for 484 days, a ceasefire deal that Trump helped his agent before taking office.
He was taken away with his wife Aviva, who was released for 51 days during the early ceasefire.
Mr. Siegel spoke Monday night ahead of a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump.
In an interview in Tel Aviv, he thanked Trump for ensuring his release and said the president can now do the same for the remaining 50 hostages, with as many as 20 still alive.
“I believe he has a lot of strength, strength and ability to put pressure on those who need to be under pressure in order to get an agreement, sign a deal, and sign all hostages and bring back to war,” he said.
Trump said he hopes to agree to a new ceasefire and hostage release deal this week, but it seems that there is still a big gap between Israel and Hamas.
A Palestinian official said the two sides resumed indirect talks in Qatar on Sunday night, but ended three hours later without a breakthrough.
Netanyahu said before flying to Washington, D.C. that he believed his meeting with Trump could “definitely help all of us want to do so.”
The plan is believed to include staggered bodies of 10 living hostages and 18 dead hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Hamas said Friday it had a “positive response.” But a Palestinian official said it had called for multiple changes, including the United States assurance that hostilities would not resume if negotiations to end the war failed – a thought Netanyahu had previously rejected.
ReutersMr. Siegel vividly describes how Hamas members beat and mock him, saying he is still troubled by the torture of female captives he witnessed.
He said Hamas agents sometimes brought him to the streets of Gaza in the course of his imprisonment and sometimes moved to 33 different locations in the sun.
Asked if he would support a deal to release the hostages, but saw that Hamas is still in power in Gaza, he replied: “Restore all hostages of all 50 hostages to the highest priority and sense of urgency as soon as possible.”
But he continued: “We can’t let Hamas continue to threaten people and kill and murder people, and I think Hamas is responsible for the deaths of both sides.”
Hamas Gaza – The health ministry that operates said more than 57,000 people have been killed in response to the October 7 attack since Israel launched its military operation, during which time around 1,200 people have been killed and another 251 have been taken hostage in Israel.
I asked Mr. Siegel if his thoughts were also focused on the suffering of Gaza’s population as he continued to run for the release of the rest of the hostages.
“I believe that peace and security for all people and freedoms… are the basic human rights that everyone deserves,” he said.
“I think it’s the responsibility of all leaders to make sure that this happens.
