Senator from Siegel's home state: 'The nightmare is over'

American officials welcome release of US citizen Keith Siegel from Hamas captivity

White House, former VP Kamala Harris, and officials from Siegel’s home state of North Carolina issue statements celebrating his release, urging return of remaining hostages

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House, January 31, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House, January 31, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Trump administration, along with former US vice president Kamala Harris and American officials, welcomed the return of hostage Keith Siegel, 65, a dual US-Israeli citizen who was released by the Hamas terror group on Saturday after 484 days of captivity, as part of the ongoing hostage-ceasefire deal.

“Today, Americans celebrate the return of American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel and two Israelis who were held captive by Hamas terrorists since October 7, 2023,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Saturday statement.

“President [Donald] Trump and his administration have worked diligently to secure their release and are committed to freeing all remaining hostages,” she added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X, “American Keith Siegel is free! Keith and his wife were cruelly taken from their home on October 7 by the terror group Hamas and thanks to [US President Donald Trump] they are now reunited. Our work continues to secure the release of all the hostages still held by Hamas.”

Former US vice president Kamala Harris also posted a statement to X saying, “[My husband] Doug and I are full of joy and relief to see American Keith Siegel reunited with his family.

“We join all those around the world who are celebrating his release and the release of other hostages in recent days and weeks. We continue to pray for the Americans and all of the remaining hostages held in captivity in Gaza by Hamas. We stand with them and their families. All the hostages must be brought home,” she said.

The release was also welcomed by US Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the country’s history.

The Senate majority leader posted a photo of a meeting he conducted with Aviva Siegel, Keith’s wife, herself a freed hostage who, he said, “never rested for a moment in bravely advocating for Keith’s return.”

“I cannot wait to see Keith home at last. I won’t stop working until all the hostages are home,” he said, attaching a yellow ribbon icon used to represent the captives’ plight.

US Senator Ted Budd, who represents Siegel’s home state of North Carolina, posted a video to X celebrating the dual citizen’s return.

“Every day since October 7 of 2023, I’ve had this photo on my desk. It’s of Keith Segal from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and his wife, Aviva. Now, after that horrible attack on Israel, 50 days after Aviva was released, but over 480 days later, until now, Keith was captive,” he explained in the clip.

“But now the nightmare is over, and Keith is free,” the senator said.

“I want to thank President Trump for his work to get these hostages released and back home to their loved ones. But there’s more work to do, and we’re going to continue that work. But right now, we thank God that the prayer of millions has been answered,” he added.

Fellow North Carolina senator Thom Tillis posted: “After more than a year in the brutal captivity of Hamas, North Carolina native Keith Siegel is finally free and will soon be reunited with his family on American soil. I am grateful to President Trump and his administration for their steadfast devotion to bringing Keith and other Americans back home.”

Roy Cooper, former governor of North Carolina, wrote on X: “Our prayers have been answered. Keith Siegel, Chapel Hill native, is finally home after 15 months being held hostage by Hamas. As we celebrate his release, we need the same for the remaining hostages and a continuing cease fire to put an end to this war.”

Hamas gunmen flank Israeli-American hostage Keith Siegel before handing him over to a Red Cross team in Gaza City on February 1, 2025. (Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP)

Hamas released Siegel on Saturday to the Red Cross at the Gaza City port. The hostage was paraded on a stage overlooking the sea as he carried two of the “gift bags” forced on the hostages by the terror group.

According to the Walla news site, the second bag was for his wife, Aviva, freed by Hamas in November 2023.

He appeared thin and pale but was able to walk, aided by masked and armed Hamas fighters.

Once delivered by the Red Cross to Israeli military forces, Siegel was returned to Israel and airlifted to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, where he was reunited with his family.

Released hostage Keith Siegel reunites with his family at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) on February 1, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Hamas on Saturday also released Ofer Calderon, 54, and Yarden Bibas, 35, in a separate hand-off conducted in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.

The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.

So far, 13 Israeli hostages have been freed as part of the current deal, which mandates the release of 33 so-called “humanitarian hostages” during its first 42-day phase, with fighting stopped in the Strip.

Five Thai hostages have also been freed outside of the framework of the agreement.

As those hostages are gradually released, Israel is to release some 1,904 Palestinian security prisoners, including more than 100 serving life sentences for deadly terror attacks. Ninety security prisoners were to be freed Saturday, nine of them believed to be terrorists serving life terms.

The three-phase deal’s later stages are subject to negotiations with the stated goal of reaching a “sustainable calm” in the enclave, alongside the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, the release of more Palestinian security prisoners and an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.

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