American hostage Keith Siegel and two Israeli hostages released by Hamas
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American hostage Keith Seigel after he was transferred from the Red Cross to the IDF on Saturday. (Credit: IDF)
Keith Siegel, an American citizen who was held hostage by Hamas for 484 days, was released on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Why it matters: Siegel is the first American hostage who was released by Hamas since November 2023.
- Six American hostages are still held by Hamas, two of them are still alive.
Driving the news: Siegel, 65, was kidnapped by Hamas from his home in the Kibbutz of Kfar Aza during the October 7 attack with his wife Aviva Siegel.
- Aviva Siegel was released in the first hostage deal in November.
- Two other Israel hostages — Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas — were also released on Saturday.
- Bibas' wife and two babies were also kidnapped by Hamas on October 7. Hamas claimed they have been killed while in captivity by an IDF air strike. The IDF didn't confirm that. They are still held in Gaza.
What we're watching: American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen is expected to be released later this month as part of the first phase of the deal.
- American hostage Edan Alexander will be released only if Israel and Hamas reach an agreement on the second phase of the deal.
- Negotiations on the second phase are expected to begin on Monday.
- Four Americans who were killed on October 7 and their bodies taken to Gaza — Etay Chen, Omer Neutra and Judi Weinstein and Haggai — will only be returned on the third phase of the deal.
State of play: About 180 Palestinian prisoners, among them those who were convicted of murdering Israelis, were released on Saturday.
- As part of the ceasefire deal, the Rafah crossing was opened for the first time on Saturday after almost a year of being shut down.
- 50 wounded Palestinians, including children, left Gaza through the crossing on Saturday for medical treatment in Egypt.
- The crossing was opened without any Hamas involvement and with Palestinian staffers who are affiliated with the Palestinian Authority together with European Union monitors.
- This is the first time the Palestinian Authority has resumed its activity in Gaza since the Hamas military coup in 2007.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt celebrated the hostages' return in a statement on Saturday.
- "President Trump and his Administration have worked diligently to secure their release and are committed to freeing all remaining hostages," she said.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the White House's statement.
