Aviva Siegel appeals to negotiators as her husband Keith Siegel remains in Hamas captivity
Tel Aviv, Israel- The wife of an American hostage held by Hamas has issued an emotional plea to negotiators, urging them to secure the release of her husband, Keith Siegel, who remains in captivity in Gaza. Speaking to the New York Post, Aviva Siegel expressed deep concern for his deteriorating health after seeing a recent video of him released by Hamas.
“I just saw the picture. He looks terrible. His bones are out, and you can see that he’s lost a lot of weight,” Aviva said, describing her horror at the footage.
The couple, residents of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, were abducted by Hamas militants during the group’s October 7 attack on Israel. They were held together in Gaza for 51 days before Aviva was released in November last year as part of a hostage exchange deal. Since then, she has been tirelessly campaigning for Keith’s release.
A harrowing ordeal in captivity
Aviva recounted the inhumane conditions she and her husband endured while being held hostage. “I was there. I touched death. I know what it feels being underneath the ground with no oxygen. Keith and I were just left there. We were left there to die,” she said, vividly recalling her near-death experience.
During her captivity, Aviva suffered from a severe stomach infection that left her gravely ill. Now free, she continues to worry about her husband and the other hostages who remain under Hamas’s control.
“I’m worried about all hostages,” she added. “The conditions they are facing are the worst any human can ever go through.”
A relentless campaign for freedom
Since her release, Aviva has been advocating for Keith’s freedom, meeting with top officials in both Israel and the United States. Her efforts have included nine trips to the U.S. this year alone, as she strives to keep the plight of hostages like her husband in the spotlight.
Despite her anguish, Aviva holds onto hope that Keith remains resilient. “I just hope that he’s with other people from Israel, and if he has them, he’s going to be okay,” she said. “He’s just the person that will make them feel that they’re together. That’s what he did when I was there – he was 100% for me and the hostages that we were with.”
The wider crisis in Gaza
The October 7 attack and its aftermath have left Gaza in turmoil. Only a limited number of aid trucks have reached civilians in the region since the conflict began, according to organizations like Oxfam, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation.
For Aviva Siegel, however, the focus remains on bringing her husband home. “What kind of Keith Siegel are we going to get back?” she asked, her voice breaking with emotion. The answer, she hopes, will come sooner rather than later.
