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Heartbroken wife of American Hamas hostage Keith Siegel calls for his release, ‘His bones are out’
Aviva Siegel, the wife of American Hamas hostage Keith Siegel, has pleaded with those involved in the hostage negotiations to bring her husband back home.
The wife of American Hamas hostage Keith Siegel has pleaded with those involved in the hostage negotiations to bring her husband back home. Aviva Siegel is a former hostage herself.
Referring to a video Hamas released in April, Aviva said, “Hamas released a video of Keith, and I just saw the picture. He looks terrible. His bones are out, and you can see that he’s lost a lot of weight.”
“He doesn’t look like himself. And I’m just so worried about him, because so [many] days and minutes have passed since that video that we received,” she continued, according to New York Post. “I just don’t know what kind of Keith that we’re going to get back.”
“I’m worried about all the hostages, because the conditions that they are in are the worst conditions that any human being could go through,” Aviva added. “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.”
‘He was strong for all of us’
Keith and Aviva were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel. They were held together for 51 days, after Aviva was revealed in November 2023 during a hostage exchange, She had suffered from a stomach infection and was extremely ill.
Since being released, Aviva has been fighting for her husband’s release. She reportedly met with top officials in the US and Israel, and travelled to the United States as many as nine times last year.
“I just hope that he’s with other people from Israel, and if he has them, he’s going to be okay,” Aviva 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.”
“If you get kidnapped, get kidnapped with Keith, because he was outstanding to everybody. He was strong for all of us. And I’m sure that he’s keeping strong and keeping his hope to come out,” she added.
Aviva recalled the last moments she spent with Keith before they were separated ahead of her release. “When I left him, I told him to be the strongest – that he needs to be strong for me, and I’ll be strong for him,” she told Fox News Digital.
Top security officials from the US, Egypt, and Qatar are urging Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire so the hostages can come home. 34 of the at least 50 hostages are still believed to be alive.
“I’m keeping my hope and holding on and just waiting – waiting to hug Keith, and waiting for all the families, to get their families back,” Aviva said. “We need to get them back.”
Aviva said she dreams of the moment she will get to hug Keith, and watch their grandchildren “jump into his arms.” “We’ll be the happiest people on Earth,” she said. “All the hostages, I can’t imagine them coming home. It’ll be just the happiest moment for all of the families. We need it to happen.”
