American hostage held in Gaza freed by Hamas as part of ceasefire deal

[Beastly Boy]

Source: USA Today

Keith Siegel became the first American hostage freed on Saturday as part of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement the U.S. helped broker that aims to ends the war in the Gaza Strip.

With his release, there are now 6 Americans still being held in Gaza, four of whom are believed to be dead. Siegel, 65, was released after 15 months in Hamas captivity. They were abducted when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Both are dual Israeli-American citizens.
Palestinian Hamas militants release Keith Siegel, a U.S.-Israeli dual national hostage held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, February 1, 2025
Palestinian Hamas militants release Keith Siegel, a U.S.-Israeli dual national hostage held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, February 1, 2025

He was freed alongside Yarden Bibas, 35, and Ofer Kalderon, 54.

The ceasefire's first phase, which began in mid-January and was set to run until early March, includes the release of 33 hostages, living and dead, in return for the freeing of nearly 2,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. The first phase prioritizes sick, elderly and female hostages.

Israeli officials believe American hostages Itay Chen, Gad Haggai, Judith Weinstein and Omer Neutra are dead. Their remains are not expected to be returned to their families in the deal's early stages.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-hostage-held-gaza-freed-134541059.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall

[Tetrachloride]

1. Headline should be: Israeli-American. Dual citizenship is not a miscellaneous aspect

as far as I know.

Moreover, I wonder what Jimmy Carter thought. And if the Biden administration and Harris campaigns bothered to ask him.

[Beastly Boy]

2. By the virtue of being violently removed from Israel, all hostages are Israeli.

What distinguishes this one is his American citizenship, which may be of interest to the majority of the USA Today readers and the audiences I am addressing. Just as French citizenship of one of the released hostages would have presumably been of interest if I were to address the French audiences, ot the Thai citizenship of five other released hostages would have been of particular interest to the Thai audiences.

It's not like the article is trying to hide Keith Siegel's dual citizenship, but what distinguishes him from others is that he is the first American to be released from the Hamas captivity.

The article also notes that several other Americans who were kidnapped by the terrorists may no longer be alive, also not a miscellaneous aspect which nevertheless didn't reflect in the headline.

[Tetrachloride]

5. I tend to have a beef with headline writers of the world more often than the

average bear.

))

[Beastly Boy]

7. I get it. I do too.

[madaboutharry]

3. Not militants! Hamas are TERRORISTS!

I thought that it was already established that Hamas is not comprised of fighters or militants. They are terrorists. Note to media: Do better.

[EX500rider]

4. Who else would hold dead bodies as hostages....sick fu*ks

[Richard D]

6. Word from Israel

Is that the precious Bibas children and their mother were murdered buy hamas.

[Israeli]

8. Its not official yet .....

......their father was told by Hamas that they had been killed during an Israeli airstrike .

At hostage square today everything was much more subdued as the majority of the public
now believe they are dead as they should have been released before the men according to
the agreement .

The family continue to live in hope .

The Bibas family had prepared for the possibility that Yarden would be released before his wife Shiri and their young sons, Kfir and Ariel. In recent weeks, Israeli officials demanded clear answers from Hamas regarding their fate, as they were supposed to be among the first hostages released under the terms of the deal. So far, no new information has emerged, intensifying fears for their well-being.

Source : https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rj4bghio1e#autoplay