Ex-hostage says Trump can bring home all those still captive in Gaza

An American Israeli man, who was captured by Hamas, told BBC that US President Donald Trump had the power to release the remaining hostages and end the war in Gaza.

66 -year -old Keith Siegel was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during attacks on Israel led by Hamas on October 7, 2023. This February was released under a ceasefire agreement that Trump helped just before he took office under captivity for 484 days.

He was taken with his wife Aviva, who was held for 51 days before being released during a previous ceasefire.

Mr. Siegel spoke before a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump at the White House on Monday evening.

In an interview in Tel Aviv, Trump thanked him for being released and said that the president could do the same for the 50 hostages that are still alive.

“I believe that it has a pressure, power, power and ability to print, power, power and ability to print on both sides to take the agreement, sign the agreement and take back all the hostages and end the war.” He said.

Trump said he hoped this week hoping to accept a new ceasefire and a hostage release agreement, but there seems to be important gaps between Israel and Hamas.

According to a Palestinian official, the two sides continued indirect negotiations in Qatar on Sunday evening, but they ended three hours after the breakthrough.

Before Washington DC, Netanyahu said that his meeting with Trump believes that “we can definitely help us to progress the result we hope.”

The plan is believed to contain the bodies of 10 living hostages and 18 dead hostages in exchange for the Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

Hamas said on Friday that he gave a “positive response.” However, a Palestinian official said he demanded several changes, including the US guaranteeing that hostilities will not continue if negotiations have failed in the end of the war – Netanyahu has previously rejected.

Mr. Siegel explained in detail how Hamas members beat and mocked him, and he said he was still haunted by the torture of a woman’s prisoner he was still witnessing.

Hamas said that operators sometimes carried him on the streets of Gaza in the streets of Gaza, 33 different places during captivity.

When asked if he would support a release of hostages, he saw that Hamas was in power in Gaza: “To get the entire hostage back in the shortest possible time has the highest priority and urgency.”

But he continued: “We cannot let Hamas continue to threaten and kill people and kill people, and I think Hamas is responsible for death on both sides.”

Gaza’s Ministry of Health, operated by Hamas, said that about 1,200 people have been killed in Israel since the launch of military operations in response to the October 7 attacks of Israel, and more than 57,000 people have been killed by 251 people.

I asked Mr. Siegel as he continued to campaign to release the remaining hostages.

“All people and peace and security for freedom … I believe that every human being is the basic human rights that he deserves,” he said.

“I think it is the responsibility of all leadership. Any innocent person who is injured, killed or killed is something I hope or imagined.”