Freed Hostage Keith Seigel Pleads for Urgent Action: “Part of Me Stayed in Gaza—They Are Still Suffering”
In a deeply emotional testimony before Israel’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday, recently released hostage Keith Seigel delivered a sobering account of the horrors he endured during 484 days in Hamas captivity—and pleaded for urgent efforts to rescue the 50 hostages who remain in Gaza.
Seigel, his voice trembling, recounted the brutal conditions and psychological torment faced by hostages: “I came here to speak about the unimaginable suffering still being endured by those who remain. I was there for 484 days. They’ve been there for 641. Words cannot capture their pain.”
He specifically mentioned fellow hostages Omri Miran, a father of two young daughters, and Gali and Ziv Berman, all of whom were wounded and separated during captivity. “The isolation alone is psychological torture,” Seigel said. “Add to that the beatings, threats, and humiliation—we lived in constant fear of execution.”
In a chilling account, Seigel described moments when his captors put a gun to his head. “They told me they would kill me. I saw other hostages suffer worse—one woman had a sharp metal rod pressed to her forehead while a gun was aimed at her. That image still haunts me. I returned physically, but a piece of me is still down there, in Gaza.”
Seigel also highlighted the plight of Matan Angrest, a severely wounded hostage who fought to defend their kibbutz during the October 7th massacre. Matan suffered lasting injuries and respiratory complications while being held in tunnels. “They only pulled him out of the tunnels to keep him alive long enough to trade. We begged to go to the bathroom. We were humiliated and degraded,” Seigel said.
Calling on Israeli leadership and international allies, Seigel urged: “We must not wait. The missing may be lost forever if we hesitate. I implore Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump—bring them home. Every minute matters.”
His testimony served as both a heartbreaking reminder and a call to action—highlighting the unbearable cost of delay and the pressing need for decisive leadership to end the suffering of Israel’s hostages.In a deeply emotional testimony before Israel’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday, recently released hostage Keith Seigel delivered a sobering account of the horrors he endured during 484 days in Hamas captivity—and pleaded for urgent efforts to rescue the 50 hostages who remain in Gaza.
Seigel, his voice trembling, recounted the brutal conditions and psychological torment faced by hostages: “I came here to speak about the unimaginable suffering still being endured by those who remain. I was there for 484 days. They’ve been there for 641. Words cannot capture their pain.”
He specifically mentioned fellow hostages Omri Miran, a father of two young daughters, and Gali and Ziv Berman, all of whom were wounded and separated during captivity. “The isolation alone is psychological torture,” Seigel said. “Add to that the beatings, threats, and humiliation—we lived in constant fear of execution.”
In a chilling account, Seigel described moments when his captors put a gun to his head. “They told me they would kill me. I saw other hostages suffer worse—one woman had a sharp metal rod pressed to her forehead while a gun was aimed at her. That image still haunts me. I returned physically, but a piece of me is still down there, in Gaza.”
Seigel also highlighted the plight of Matan Angrest, a severely wounded hostage who fought to defend their kibbutz during the October 7th massacre. Matan suffered lasting injuries and respiratory complications while being held in tunnels. “They only pulled him out of the tunnels to keep him alive long enough to trade. We begged to go to the bathroom. We were humiliated and degraded,” Seigel said.
Calling on Israeli leadership and international allies, Seigel urged: “We must not wait. The missing may be lost forever if we hesitate. I implore Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump—bring them home. Every minute matters.”
His testimony served as both a heartbreaking reminder and a call to action—highlighting the unbearable cost of delay and the pressing need for decisive leadership to end the suffering of Israel’s hostages.
