Hostage Keith Siegel's Family Reveals: "He Was Forbidden to Speak"

The family of recently released Hamas hostage Keith Siegel has revealed devastating details about his 484-day captivity, including that he spent his final two months in complete isolation, forbidden from speaking.

"In his last two months, he was there alone," Keith's brother told i24NEWS on Friday. "He talked to us in his head, and when he could close his eyes and whisper to himself, that's what he did."

The revelations came as Keith's daughter, Shir Siegel, shared her emotional response to hearing her father's account of captivity for the first time. "Last night, my father spent hours telling us horror stories about his captivity," she said in a statement Sunday morning. "The feeling that came over me was so intense, I wanted to drive to Gaza and destroy them all personally." It's a feeling many of us know well, after seeing signs of clear starvation on Or Levy, Yossi Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami, released in yesterday's prisoner release.

Speaking at a press conference following her father's release on February 1, Shir detailed the horrific conditions of his imprisonment: "For 484 days - nearly 16 months - my father endured absolute hell. He was kept in the darkest, most terrifying conditions imaginable by terrorists who subjected him to constant physical and psychological torture."

According to family members, despite the inhumane conditions, Keith made an effort to find something to be grateful for each day. However, his physical condition deteriorated significantly during captivity, with Shir revealing he was routinely starved and lost dangerous amounts of weight.

"He barely saw daylight," she said. "Every single moment, he lived with the knowledge that it could be his last."

Keith was among the hostages released in the latest exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas. Photos released by the Israeli Government Press Office showed an emotional reunion with his family during the transfer process.

"My father is absolutely heartbroken about what happened to our community on October 7th," Shir added, referring to the Hamas attack that initiated the current conflict. "What he endured is beyond anything we could comprehend - something no human being should ever experience."

Kikar HaShabbat and JPost contributed to this article.