A video of Israeli hostages Keith Siegel and Omri Miran was released Saturday by Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades.
In the video, Siegel, 64, and Miran, 47, talk about not being able to celebrate Passover with their loved ones because they are in Hamas captivity.
This is the second video of Israeli hostages that Hamas has shared this week, after releasing a video of American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin on Wednesday. NBC News has not been able to independently verify when or where the video was filmed, and it is unclear whether Siegal or Miran are still alive.
Siegel, who is a U.S. citizen, spoke directly to his family, letting them know he was OK. His wife, Aviva, was held captive by Hamas for 51 days before being released, according to a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. In an interview with NBC News in February, Aviva Siegel, 62, said she believed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was prioritizing his own political survival and his attempt to crush Hamas over efforts aimed at returning the hostages.
“I think Bibi Netanyahu thinks more about himself than about us,” she said.
In a video statement shared by the Hostage Forum after Hamas released the video, Aviva Siegel and the couple’s two daughters, Ilan and Shir, shared a message. The women are seen holding hands and wearing shirts with Keith Siegel’s photo and the caption “BRING KEITH HOME NOW.”
“Seeing my father today just emphasizes to everyone how we need to reach an agreement as quickly as possible and get everyone home,” Ilan Siegel said. “I demand that the leaders of this country watch this video and see their own father calling for help. »
Aviva Siegel addressed her message to her husband, saying she loves him.
“We will fight until you return,” she said.
In the Al-Qassam video, Keith Both Siegel and Miran encouraged those advocating for the return of all Israeli hostages to continue protesting until a deal is reached.
“If you watched the video, you saw that my father knows that we all come to the rally every week and fight for him and all the captives,” Shir Siegel said in the family’s statement. “Thank you for being with us. We will not stop fighting together.
In a statement, the Hostage Forum said the “proof of life” of Siegel and Miran “is the clearest proof that the Israeli government must do everything to approve an agreement for the return of all hostages before the Day of Independence”. Independence Day in Israel is commemorated on May 14 and marks the day the Jewish state declared itself a country in the Middle East.
“Now is the time for the government and its leader to demonstrate through action their commitment to Israeli citizens awaiting the return of the hostages,” the organization said.
News Source : www.nbcnews.com
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