Hamas released new video footage on Saturday showing two hostages, one of whom is an American citizen, held in Gaza.
The video, shared on Hamas’s social media, features Omri Miran and Keith Siegel, who were abducted during a Hamas attack on Israel in October. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum identified the men seen in the footage.
According to the forum, this video is the first sighting of the hostages after 204 days in captivity.
While the exact date of the video’s filming is unverified, Hamas frequently uses this channel to release propaganda videos, including those showing hostages.
In response to the video, the FBI is reviewing the footage featuring American citizen Keith Siegel, along with an Israeli hostage, as confirmed by a U.S. official to CBS News.
The White House was unaware of the video’s release beforehand. U.S. officials are maintaining contact with Siegel’s family during this challenging time.
There are currently five U.S. nationals considered hostages in Gaza, with three others believed to have been killed and their remains held by Hamas.
This development marks the first public release by Hamas of a video featuring a U.S. citizen hostage, with Siegel being the second American to appear in such propaganda.
Siegel’s family confirmed that this is the first video they’ve seen of him since his abduction.
Aviva Siegel, Keith’s wife, who is not a U.S. citizen, was previously released by Hamas in November during a temporary ceasefire, during which around 100 hostages were freed in exchange for 210 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged the Israeli government to negotiate for the release of all hostages, emphasizing the urgency of bringing back the living for rehabilitation and providing a dignified burial for those deceased before Independence Day.
