Memory of a Hostage: Keith Siegel’s Sharp Memory Helps IDF and Israeli Intelligence Track Terrorists After Dramatic Release:

Keith Siegel, a 65-year-old resident of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, was abducted from his home along with his wife, Aviva, during the Hamas-led October 7th massacre. The couple was taken into Gaza, where they were held captive separately. Aviva was released after 50 days, but Keith languished in Gaza for 487 days, the majority of the time in underground tunnels, being kept in inhumane conditions.

Keith was released as part of a prisoner exchange deal that materialized with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. After his release, his keen memory even under torturous conditions proved to be extremely helpful to Israeli intelligence, as his recollections were used to identify terrorists’ locations and tactics.

Just days after returning to Israel, Keith met with Minister Rabbi Yitzhak Goldknopf, a senior member of the Charedi UTJ party. Exclusive footage of their meeting, obtained by Belaaz News, reveals chilling details of Keith’s captivity.

“We were moved in three different vehicles,” Keith recounts. “They kidnapped us from our home in Kfar Aza using my car. Once we entered Gaza, we were transferred to a local vehicle, and later to another one. They put sacks over our heads so we couldn’t see. I don’t know how long it lasted, but we ended up in a house — from which we were taken down into a tunnel.”

The first tunnel held them for three days. Then, for two to three weeks, they were moved above ground, only to be taken down again.

“The second tunnel was extremely deep,” he says. “They told us it was 40 meters underground. To get to the bathroom, we had to walk 15 steps in a space without air. We were left there alone from 5:00 PM until 8:00 the next morning. If something happened to us, there was no one to call. They told us, ‘If there’s a problem, go to the stairs and call us.’ One night, when we were with another hostage who needed medication, we screamed for help — but no one came.”

During his time in captivity, Keith says he was transferred to 33 different locations, including two schools. “I remember every one of the 33 dates,” he says. “That’s how many times they moved us. I can still identify the places and even name some of the terrorists — information that proved useful to Israeli intelligence.”

Keith shared how Hamas repeatedly deceived him. “After Aviva was released — 50 days into the war — they told me I’d be the next one out. Every time there were talks of a deal, they said I’d be first. They also claimed that civilians would be released before soldiers — but that didn’t happen.”

The former hostage described moments of hope and heartbreak: “When I saw young female soldiers being freed, I was happy for them, but also realized the promises made to me were lies.”

Despite limited access to information, the hostages were able to follow developments. “We had an Arabic-language TV, mostly Al Jazeera. They showed protests outside the Knesset, Saturday night demonstrations. During negotiations, we even saw videos of released hostages. It gave us hope — we knew the people of Israel were behind us.”

During the meeting, Keith’s son-in-law said: “We campaigned for his release in the U.S., and we’re convinced that Trump’s return to the White House gave the final push needed for the deal. We also told Keith that the ultra-Orthodox ministers in the Israeli government were involved in efforts to secure his release.”