Former hostage describes time in Hamas captivity: "Starved and tortured"

An American citizen who was held hostage by Hamas for more than 15 months described his time in captivity, pleading with President Donald Trump to bring the rest of the "helpless hostages in the dark, cold tunnels in Gaza" home. 

Keith Siegel, 65, is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He and his wife, Aviva Siegel, were among the 251 hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that launched the war in Gaza.

Aviva was freed during the November 2023 ceasefire deal, and has campaigned across the world for the release of her husband and other hostages. Keith was freed Feb. 8, about three weeks into a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that’s aimed at eventually ending the war. 

What did Keith Siegel say? 

What they're saying:

In a video posted by Bring Them Home Now, a group comprising family and friends of the hostages, Siegel said he spent 484 days in "unimaginable conditions."

"Every single day felt like it could be my last," he said. 

Released hostage Keith Samuel Siegal, draped in an Israeli flag, arrives to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center - Ichilov Hospital by helicopter on February 01, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

"President Trump, you are the reason I am home alive. You are the reason I was reunited with my beloved wife, four children and five grandchildren.

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"When I was in Gaza, I lived in constant fear, fear for my life and my personal safety. I was starved and I was tortured, both physically and emotionally. When the war intensified, the terrorists who held me treated me even worse than usual. Terrorists kicked me, spat on me, and held me with no water, no light, no air to breathe. 

"Mr. President, once again your leadership, power and authority are necessary to enforce the ceasefire and put an end to the unnecessary daily dangers to the lives of innocent hostages and civilians.

"The helpless hostages in the dark, cold tunnels in Gaza also trust you. Please bring them home."

Are more hostages being freed? 

The backstory:

Under the terms of the ceasefire, which began on Jan. 21, Israel is to release more than 300 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in return for the hostages. The exchange will be the sixth swap since the ceasefire came into effect.

So far, 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners have been freed during the first phase of the truce. But the ceasefire had appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.

More than 70 hostages remain in Gaza, although nearly half are believed to be dead. The others were released, rescued, or their bodies were recovered.

Dig deeper:

Trump’s proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them in other countries has thrown the truce’s future into further doubt.

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His plan has been welcomed by Israel, but vehemently rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries which have refused to accept any influx of refugees. Human rights groups say it could amount to a war crime under international law.

Trump has said Gaza’s population should be resettled elsewhere in the region, with wealthy Arab countries paying for it. He has suggested that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the "Riviera of the Middle East."

Where does the war in Gaza stand? 

What's next:

The truce faces a much bigger challenge in the coming weeks. The first phase is set to conclude at the beginning of March, and there have not yet been substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war.