Freed Hostage Reveals Horrors of 484 Days in Gaza Captivity

Keith Siegel, an Israeli American who spent over a year as a hostage, shares harrowing details of captivity in Gaza, emphasizing the dire conditions and psychological manipulation endured alongside fellow captives.

Keith Siegel, an Israeli American originally from North Carolina, found himself entangled in a nightmare when he was kidnapped along with approximately 250 others on October 7, 2023, during a Hamas-led attack that incited a war with Israel. After an agonizing 484 days, Siegel was released on February 1, 2025, as part of a fragile cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Recalling the day of his abduction, Siegel described a traumatic scene where a female hostage was singled out and taken away by armed Hamas militants. The horrors of captivity soon became apparent, with inadequate meals, scarce water, and the constant threat of violent punishment for disobedience marking their daily existence.

In one particularly harrowing episode, Siegel was forced into a room where he witnessed a brutal "medieval-style" trial that involved torture. The female hostage was bound and subjected to severe beatings while guards demanded a confession from her. “I was told to go into the room and to tell the person that the torturing will continue until they admit what they were being accused of,” he recounted, emphasizing the psychological torment he was made to endure.

The traumatic experiences endured by Siegel and his fellow hostages underscore the ongoing human rights concerns in the conflict. As of now, 59 individuals remain unaccounted for in Gaza, with the Israeli government presuming around 35 to be deceased. The emotional scars from this ordeal will undoubtedly linger as Siegel and others navigate the aftermath of their harrowing experiences.