For more than 480 days North Carolina native Keith Siegel was held hostage by Hamas.

What You Need To Know

  • North Carolina native Keith Siegel was held hostage by Hamas

  • Siegel was released this past weekend

  • Siegel and his wife were abducted in October 2023

 

He was finally released over the weekend and enjoyed an emotional reunion with his family.

"It’s been an incredibly emotional last few days,” said Siegel’s niece Emily Wesolowski. “It’s so surreal in the best way.”

Siegel and his wife Aviva were abducted in October 2023. 

Aviva Siegel, a kindergarten teacher, was released about two months later.

It wasn’t until this weekend that the couple once again became whole.

“He has lost weight, and he looks pale, but he’s walking and talking, and he’s with his family. We’re just so unbelievably overjoyed,” Wesolowski said. “We’ve all been waiting for this moment.”

Wesolowski spoke with Spectrum News in Washington D.C. She hasn’t seen Keith Siegel since he was released but is planning to take a trip to Israel to see him.

Siegel’s release came after a long excruciating wait. 

Former President Joe Biden announced a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas shortly before he left office. The Trump administration then took over.

“The two administrations worked in lockstep with one another,” Wesolowski said.

Wesolowski said the challenge was the administration in Israel.

“The Netanyahu’s government has been an impediment to a deal not happening sooner. This deal had been on the table for more than a year. The Biden administration had been working for more than a year to make it happen,” Wesolowski said.

Siegel’s release comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington to meet with President Donald Trump.

Negotiations are also expected to start in phase two of the ceasefire, a deal that could be on shaky ground.

“I think it’s so important that the Trump administration continue to put pressure on Bibi Netanyahu and Hamas to ensure that this agreement is seen all the way through the full implementation of the deal, and that all the hostages are returned home,” Wesolowski said.

Siegel, who is from North Carolina but has lived in Israel for years, returned to a changed family. In December, his mother passed away.

But in another change, his daughter, who had gotten engaged shortly before he was taken hostage, is preparing for a very large celebration.

“It’s going to be the most amazing, joyous wedding,” Wesolowski said. “We can’t wait.”