On Shabbos, former US President Joe Biden expressed his happiness at the release of Keith Siegel from Hamas captivity. Siegel, who holds US citizenship, was freed along with Ofer Calderon and Yarden Bibas.
In a post on social media platform X, Biden shared, “I join Americans, Israelis, and people around the world in welcoming home Keith Siegel, an American held hostage by Hamas for 484 days, as part of the ceasefire deal my team and I negotiated. I look forward to the remaining hostages, including additional Americans, being reunited with their families soon.”
Biden also reflected on the emotional toll the situation had taken, stating, “I can only imagine the relief and joy that Keith’s family must be feeling today. For more than a year, my team and I met with his family, including his wife Aviva who was once a hostage herself. I was continuously inspired by their strength and resilience as they did everything in their power to ensure he was not forgotten.”
He concluded his message with, “My thoughts and prayers are with them and with all the families of the hostages today, all of whom have suffered so much.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also responded to Siegel’s release, expressing her joy and relief in a post. “Doug and I are full of joy and relief to see American Keith Siegel reunited with his family. We join all those around the world who are celebrating his release and the release of other hostages in recent days and weeks.”
She continued, “We continue to pray for the Americans and all of the remaining hostages held in captivity in Gaza by Hamas. We stand with them and their families. All the hostages must be brought home.”
The ceasefire and hostage release agreement that facilitated the release of Siegel and others was initially proposed by President Biden in May. However, the deal was only formalized after former President Donald Trump intervened, alongside his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, to push both Israel and Hamas to accept the terms.
In December, Trump personally escalated his involvement in the hostage situation when he issued a stern warning: if the hostages were not freed by the time of his inauguration on January 20, there would be “all hell to pay.” He repeated this threat multiple times in the lead-up to the event.
{Matzav.com}