WATCH: Freed hostage Keith Siegel appeals to Trump: "Get them all home"

Standing amid the ruins of his former home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Keith Siegel, who spent 484 days in Hamas captivity, has made an emotional appeal to former President Donald Trump to help secure the release of remaining hostages still held in Gaza.

"Hello Mr. President, my name is Keith Siegel, and I am the first American hostage who was released in the deal you worked so hard to advance," Siegel said in the video, which Trump later shared on Truth Social. The message, filmed against a backdrop of destruction that was once his peaceful community, carries the weight of someone who intimately understands the horrors faced by those still in captivity.

Siegel, 65, was abducted from Kfar Aza during Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack alongside his wife, Aviva. While she was released after 51 days as part of an earlier deal, Keith remained in captivity until February 1, 2025, enduring nearly 16 months of isolation, torture, and deprivation.

"I'm standing now in front of my home in Kfar Aza, the kibbutz where I live," Siegel continued in his message, gesturing to the widespread devastation. "It's so hard to understand and process what I see today – homes destroyed and burned by Hamas, people murdered and burned alive. The stories about what happened in Kfar Aza that day are horrifying."

The American-Israeli citizen, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has emerged as a powerful voice for those still held captive. His own experience in captivity was marked by extreme hardship – he lost over 65 pounds, was dehydrated upon return, and spent his final six months in solitary confinement. During his captivity, he meticulously tracked each day to maintain his sanity, finding a glimmer of hope on day 205 when he heard his daughter Elan's voice on a radio broadcast.

His recent appeal to Trump follows a February 14 video where he credited the former president's leadership for his freedom, stating then, "You are the reason I am home alive." Now, standing in the rubble of his community, Siegel's message carries added urgency: "I want to tell you again how urgent it is to get all the hostages out of Gaza, and return them home to their families. You've done so much so far, and we all call on you to continue the efforts to enable further progress in hostage deals."

The path to Siegel's release involved intense international pressure and family advocacy. His employer, pharmaceutical company Lundbeck, even hired a former MI6 agent to assist in locating him. His wife Aviva has since revealed the extent of his ordeal – he was kicked, starved, and threatened at gunpoint. Upon his rescue, his first question was about his mother, Gladys, who had sadly passed away in December 2024 while he was still in captivity.

Today, Keith and Aviva live on a different kibbutz in Israel as they piece together their lives after nearly 16 months apart. Their children – Shir, Elan, and Shai (who survived the October 7 attack) – have spoken about their father's fragile state upon return. He has adopted a vegan diet as part of his recovery process and continues to advocate for those still held hostage.

His latest message from the ruins of Kfar Aza serves as both a personal testimony and a powerful reminder of the ongoing hostage crisis. As negotiations continue for the release of remaining captives, Siegel's voice joins a chorus of families still waiting for their loved ones to return home.