An American-Israeli released from Gaza during the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire is exhorting President Donald Trump to press for the release of the remaining hostages.
“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. Thank you,” Siegel says in a video released by his family and hostage advocacy groups. “Thank you for your continued fight against terror and for your bold leadership that has brought me and many others back home, to our families, to safety and to security.”
Siegel, 65, moved to Israel from his native North Carolina as a young adult and was abducted from his home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza along with his wife Aviva, who was released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. He remained in dire conditions for 14 more months.
“When I was in Gaza, I lived in constant fear — fear for my life and for my personal safety. I was starved and tortured, both physically and emotionally,” he says in the video, in which he speaks in English while sitting on a couch and appearing more robust than he had during his release. He also says he loves country music and making pancakes — a recipe for which has become a symbol for his supporters.
The current ceasefire, during which 33 hostages are to be released over 42 days, was struck just before Trump’s inauguration and he is widely seen as having pressured Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement that had previously been elusive. A recent poll found that nearly three-quarters of Israelis, including majorities across demographics that rarely agree on politics, credit Trump for pushing the deal through.
Now, advocates for the hostages are appealing to Trump to keep the pressure on to achieve the return of dozens of living hostages and more known to be dead.
“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. Your leadership and strength will ensure the agreement is honored by all sides,” Siegel says in the video. “That is what will allow all 76 hostages to return home to their families. I trust your strength and leadership, Mr. President. The helpless hostages in the dark, cold tunnels in Gaza also trust you.”
After Hamas said it would delay future hostage releases, Trump said this week without elaborating that “all bets are off” if Hamas does not release all of the remaining hostages by Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu followed up by promising a return to “intense fighting” if that deadline was not met. He has since backed off, and three more hostages — including another dual U.S.-Israeli citizen — are set for release on Saturday.
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