The next is the transcript of an interview with Hanna Siegel, niece of freed hostage Keith Siegel, on “Face the Country with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Feb. 2, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The brief stop hearth between Israel and Hamas continues to be maintaining, and 3 extra hostages have been launched the day gone by, together with American-Israeli twin nationwide, Keith Siegel, his niece Hanna Siegel is right here with us this morning. Excellent morning. You may have been looking forward to this for over 400 days. How is your uncle doing?
HANNA SIEGEL: First, thanks for having me. I have been dreaming about being right here nowadays. He is- he is doing k. He is, he is misplaced some weight, he is light, however he is sturdy, and he is doing k. Come what may. We are extremely thankful.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I imply, we have noticed the video and the pictures of him being reunited with members of the family. Will your father, his brother, see him quickly?
SIEGEL: Sure, he is on his approach. We have now been staggering the circle of relatives visits in order to not weigh down him. However sure, we’re all- we’re all going to look him. And in reality, his youngest daughter, Shir, were given engaged a month sooner than October 7, and so the marriage making plans started, after which impulsively got here to a forestall as either one of her folks, Keith and my aunt Aviva, who used to be launched within the November 2023 deal, have been taken hostage. So what we have mentioned is that, you already know, at some point, we are all going to get in combination and throw a completely epic marriage ceremony, and that is the reason what we are having a look ahead to now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you could have been an suggest for the circle of relatives right here in Washington, each with the Biden and the Trump administrations. On your view, do you assume this deal, this hostage liberate, would have took place with out American force?
SIEGEL: No, unquestionably now not. And I do need to say to the Biden crew, Jake Sullivan, Brett McGurk, President Biden, Secretary, Blinken, Invoice Burns, they have been so tireless of their dedication to get this deal accomplished. However the actually wonderful factor is that the minute that President Trump used to be elected, his crew got to work hand in glove with the Biden management. We felt no spoil within the dedication to get Keith house. Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler, at the side of President Trump, got to work hand-in-hand with the Biden crew and I do not know what different factor you’ll be able to say that about with those administrations. The Trump crew actually did push it over the end line and we are extremely thankful, extremely thankful to they all for the paintings that they did. I additionally simply need to say the Qatari negotiators, mediators who have been a part of the November 2023 deal have been additionally instrumental. After which what I have discovered on this utterly odd revel in is that there’s a entire trade of other folks, NGOs, who paintings on hostage negotiations on behalf of households. We labored with International Succeed in, Mickey Bergman, Stacia George and Eric Lebson, they are a nonprofit. We don’t have gotten Keith house with out them. So it used to be only a super crew effort around the board, throughout political strains, and that is the reason heartening.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You instructed us again in April in this program that you just have been anxious, quote, “it is not arguably in Top Minister Netanyahu’s political passion to near a deal,” and also you have been anxious he used to be going to sink it. He has introduced section two of the hostage framework starts getting negotiated the following day, Monday. Do you assume he is incentivized now to in reality see this deal thru?
SIEGEL: I believe that the Trump crew has accomplished a actually super activity of striking severe force on him, and that this is creating a distinction. I believe that he, you already know, we are static, that Keith is house, but it surely took nearly 500 days, and that’s partly as a result of Netanyahu. This deal used to be to be had for months. The Biden crew used to be operating on it and- and he would not come to the desk frequently. I imply, there are- that is the sort of sophisticated factor, however I’m anxious. I believe this can be a actually fragile deal, as all of us perceive and so, you already know, I’ve a large number of religion within the Trump crew and in the entire other folks operating in this to position severe force on him to look it thru. I believe what we have noticed is that international relations and political settlement is the one strategy to get the entire hostages house. And you already know, we are one of the most fortunate ones, however there stay 5 Americans and dozens of different hostages who nonetheless want to come house.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And the stays of a few of the ones American citizens would not come thru till section 3 and section two. We all know Edan Alexander, a uniformed IDF soldier who’s a U.S. citizen.
SIEGEL: Sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The deal must proceed to paintings to in reality carry him house. Sagui Chen, we are ready on him to be launched as smartly.
SIEGEL: Precisely.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So I emphasize that, as a result of once we discuss offers and international relations, those are lives in peril, and if the deal does not proceed to stick in position, they could also be.
SIEGEL: And those are American citizens. Those are American citizens who want to come house.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Hanna, thanks.
SIEGEL: Thanks such a lot.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congratulations.
SIEGEL: Thanks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It is nice information.
SIEGEL: Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We will be proper again.
