(The Center Square) – North Carolina native Keith Siegel is among three people Hamas is reportedly going to release on Saturday.
Siegel, a Chapel Hill native, and wife Adrienne “Aviva” Siegel were captured Oct. 7, 2023, when the militant group attacked Israel. Friday marked his 483rd day in captivity.
She 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. Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed identities of those to be released.
Yarden Bibas and Ofer Calderon are the others. Released on Jan. 19 were Romi Gonen, 24; Emily Damari, 28; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31.
Siegel is one of seven American hostages, at least three who are believed alive. Sagui Dekel-Chen and Edan Alexander are the others.
More than 46,000 have died, including 14,000 children and 8,000 women, according to published reports. Hamas is reported to have killed 1,200 on the day of attack and taken 251 hostage.
Seigel moved to Israel when he was 21. He and his wife have lived in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
A video released last April showed him alive, and he spoke to his family in it. In December, his 96-year-old mother died in the United States.
The Seigels are parents of four and grandparents of five.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was reached on Jan. 15 in Doha, Qatar. 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.
