(The Center Square) – His wife’s release came after 51 days. Many in North Carolina have, and now especially with another ceasefire, anxiously await the release of Chapel Hill native Keith Siegel.
He’s one of seven American hostages, at least three who are believed alive. Sagui Dekel-Chen and Edan Alexander are the others.
Published reports of American hostages who have died but whose bodies are with Hamas are Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Judith Weinstein and Gadi Haggai.
Sunday’s release of three hostages – Romi Gonen, 24; Emily Damari, 28; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31 – by Hamas ended 470 days of captivity. According to the White House, four more women will be released in seven days and three every seven days after including at least two Americans.
The 33 released in the first phase will be women, children and the elderly. Keith Siegel, 65, could be in that group. The agreement does include three American Israeli hostages, the White House said Wednesday.
In a statement Sunday, President Joe Biden said the second phase of the deal will begin by the 16th day of the deal. That part includes Israeli males, civilians and soldiers.
Adrienne “Aviva” Siegel, wife of Keith Siegel, was released on Nov. 26, 2023. U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., hosted some of his family at the State of the Union in March last year, welcoming his sister Lucy and niece Hanna.
“We are extremely hopeful that North Carolinian Keith Siegel will soon be home with Aviva and the rest of his family,” Budd wrote on social media. “We continue to work and pray that the first phase of the agreement is fully implemented, and that the remainder of the hostages are released soon after.”
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was reached on Wednesday in Doha, Qatar. The Middle East war began Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked. More than 46,000 have died, including 14,000 children and 8,000 women, according to published reports.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar were involved in negotiations.
The ceasefire during which Aviva Siegel was released lasted a week. She was among more than 100 people released by Hamas; 200 Palestinians were freed from prisons in Israel.
Gonen is from northern Israel, Steinbrecher has dual citizenship in Israel and Romania, and Damari is British.
