Niece of U.S.-Israeli hostage worries a deal “is arguably not” in Netanyahu’s “political interest”

[Pelican Press 0]

Niece of U.S.-******** ******** worries a deal “is arguably not” in Netanyahu’s “political interest”

As reports of *******’s new cease-***** proposal  renew hopes for the release of hostages still being held by ******, the niece of an U.S.-******** captive said that while she believes a deal can be reached, her family is concerned that finalizing any sort of peace agreement may not serve ******** Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political agenda. 

President Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Sunday, the White House confirmed to CBS News.

“I do think a deal can be reached. I mean, we know that. A deal was reached in November … so we know that it’s possible,” Hanna Siegel said Sunday on “Face the Nation.”  She told moderator Margaret Brennan that the ******* States “plays a critical role” in the negotiation process, as it did during the initial cease-*****, but acknowledged that “ultimately, this is a negotiation between ****** and Prime Minister Netanyahu in *******.”

“And one of the things that really worries my family, and worries me, is that it’s arguably not in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s political interest to close a deal,” Siegel said. 

Her uncle, Keith Siegel, was among those taken ******** by ****** when the group’s militant wing attacked southern ******* on Oct. 7. ******** authorities have said 250 people were captured and subsequently hidden away in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu declared war on ******, pausing only for a temporary weeklong cease-***** brokered in November, during which more than 100 hostages — primarily women and children — were freed alongside about 240 Palestinians previously detained in ******** prisons. 

Hanna Siegel on “Face the Nation,” April 28, 2024.

CBS News

Netanyahu has said that freeing the remaining hostages is one of his three main objectives in Gaza. He reiterated those points on “Face the Nation” in February, with the other two being to “******** ******” and to “ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to ******* in the future.” 

“Unless we have total victory, we can’t have peace,” Netanyahu said at the time. As the war has drawn on, some of the hostages’ family members have accused ******** leaders, including the prime minister and his unprecedented far-right cabinet, of forgoing a deal that could save them for political reasons.

“There is a lot swirling in the political landscape in *******,” Siegel said Sunday. “We’re at 205 days. There have been deals on the table. And they’ve proven elusive. And I worry that that is because of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

“So, I think that now is the moment. I have ****** that we can do a deal now. But I also think that if that isn’t possible, then the Biden administration should think about what they can do directly to bring our ********* citizens home.”

Keith Siegel’s wife, Aviva Siegel, was one of the hostages that ****** freed during that cease-*****. There had been no word about him for months, his family said, until he appeared in undated video footage released Saturday by ****** on the group’s social media channel, which is often used to publish ***********. Siegel was seen in the video with another ********, identified as Omri Miran by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, several days after similar footage emerged of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, another ********-********* being held ********. Siegel, who is 64, holds ********* and ******** citizenship. 

As of April 24, there were five people who are ********* citizens who are unaccounted for and presumed to be held alive s in Gaza, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News. The ******** of three other U.S. citizens are believed to be in the possession of ******. A U.S. official told CBS News that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was reviewing the latest proof of life video after its release on Saturday. 

Hanna Siegel told Brennan on Sunday that the timing of the *********** videos’ release could potentially be a sign that ****** is open to reaching a deal with *******.

“You know, for us, this is the moment,” she said. “I do think that these two videos are a signal from ****** that they are ready to make a deal and a reminder that there are ********* citizens being held, including Keith.”

Despite mounting calls from civilians to prioritize the remaining hostages’ safe return, and pledges from Mr. Biden that his administration “will not rest” until that happens, attempts to reach another cease-***** deal have fallen apart since ******* ended the provisional truce last fall. ****** has pushed for a prolonged break in fighting and the withdrawal of ******** troops from Gaza in exchange for the release of around 100 people still believed to be alive in captivity, and the ******** of around 30 others. ******* has repeatedly rejected ******’ demands and said it will continue the offensive with the goal of destroying the group. 

But senior ****** official Khalil al-Hayva said Saturday that they were evaluating a new cease-***** proposal from ******* and “upon completion of its study, it will submit a response,” the Associated Press reported. The official did not share details about the proposal but said that it came in response to a proposal from ****** two weeks ago, according to the AP. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to the region on Sunday to discuss a potential cease-***** and a ******** agreement. Although Hanna Siegel said that she “has ****** that we can do a deal now,” she also called on the Biden administration “to think about what they can do directly to bring our ********* citizens home” if negotiations fail again.

“What I know is that the Biden administration has shown unwavering and relentless commitment to my family and the families of all of the hostages,” she said. “And I know that it is their priority to bring all hostages, including the Americans, home. And so I know that they are doing absolutely everything that they can.”

Emily Mae Czachor

Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on ****** and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

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******** Situation, ******, *******, Gaza Strip, Benjamin Neta​nyahu
#Niece #U.S.******** #******** #worries #deal #arguably #Netanyahus #political #interest

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