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Hostage's niece says she worries astir Netanyahu's "political interest"
As reports of Israel's caller cease-fire proposal renew hopes for the merchandise of hostages inactive being held by Hamas, the niece of an U.S.-Israeli captive said that portion she believes a woody tin beryllium reached, her household is acrophobic that finalizing immoderate benignant of bid statement whitethorn not service Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governmental agenda.
President Biden spoke with Netanyahu connected Sunday, the White House confirmed to CBS News.
"I bash deliberation a woody tin beryllium reached. I mean, we cognize that. A woody was reached successful November ... truthful we cognize that it's possible," Hanna Siegel said Sunday connected "Face the Nation." She told moderator Margaret Brennan that the United States "plays a captious role" successful the dialog process, arsenic it did during the archetypal cease-fire, but acknowledged that "ultimately, this is simply a dialog betwixt Hamas and Prime Minister Netanyahu successful Israel."
"And 1 of the things that truly worries my family, and worries me, is that it's arguably not successful Prime Minister Netanyahu's governmental involvement to adjacent a deal," Siegel said.
Her uncle, Keith Siegel, was among those taken hostage by Hamas erstwhile the group's militant helping attacked confederate Israel connected Oct. 7. Israeli authorities person said 250 radical were captured and subsequently hidden distant successful the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu declared warfare connected Hamas, pausing lone for a impermanent weeklong cease-fire brokered successful November, during which much than 100 hostages — chiefly women and children — were freed alongside astir 240 Palestinians antecedently detained successful Israeli prisons.
Hanna Siegel connected "Face the Nation," April 28, 2024.
CBS News
Netanyahu has said that freeing the remaining hostages is 1 of his 3 main objectives successful Gaza. He reiterated those points on "Face the Nation" successful February, with the different 2 being to "destroy Hamas" and to "ensure that Gaza does not airs a menace to Israel successful the future."
"Unless we person full victory, we can't person peace," Netanyahu said astatine the time. As the warfare has drawn on, immoderate of the hostages' household members person accused Israeli leaders, including the premier curate and his unprecedented far-right cabinet, of forgoing a woody that could prevention them for governmental reasons.
"There is simply a batch swirling successful the governmental scenery successful Israel," Siegel said Sunday. "We're astatine 205 days. There person been deals connected the table. And they've proven elusive. And I interest that that is due to the fact that of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
"So, I deliberation that present is the moment. I person religion that we tin bash a woody now. But I besides deliberation that if that isn't possible, past the Biden medication should deliberation astir what they tin bash straight to bring our American citizens home."
Keith Siegel's wife, Aviva Siegel, was 1 of the hostages that Hamas freed during that cease-fire. There had been nary connection astir him for months, his household said, until helium appeared successful undated video footage released Saturday by Hamas connected the group's societal media channel, which is often utilized to people propaganda. Siegel was seen successful the video with different hostage, identified arsenic Omri Miran by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, respective days aft akin footage emerged of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, different Israeli-American being held hostage. Siegel, who is 64, holds American and Israeli citizenship.
As of April 24, determination were 5 radical who are American citizens who are unaccounted for and presumed to beryllium held live s successful Gaza, a U.S. authoritative confirmed to CBS News. The remains of 3 different U.S. citizens are believed to beryllium successful the possession of Hamas. A U.S. authoritative told CBS News that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was reviewing the latest impervious of beingness video aft its merchandise connected Saturday.
Hanna Siegel told Brennan connected Sunday that the timing of the propaganda videos' merchandise could perchance beryllium a motion that Hamas is unfastened to reaching a woody with Israel.
"You know, for us, this is the moment," she said. "I bash deliberation that these 2 videos are a awesome from Hamas that they are acceptable to marque a woody and a reminder that determination are American citizens being held, including Keith."
Despite mounting calls from civilians to prioritize the remaining hostages' harmless return, and pledges from Mr. Biden that his medication "will not rest" until that happens, attempts to scope different cease-fire woody person fallen isolated since Israel ended the provisional truce past fall. Hamas has pushed for a prolonged interruption successful warring and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza successful speech for the merchandise of astir 100 radical inactive believed to beryllium live successful captivity, and the remains of astir 30 others. Israel has repeatedly rejected Hamas' demands and said it volition proceed the violative with the extremity of destroying the group.
But elder Hamas authoritative Khalil al-Hayva said Saturday that they were evaluating a caller cease-fire connection from Israel and "upon completion of its study, it volition taxable a response," the Associated Press reported. The authoritative did not stock details astir the connection but said that it came successful effect to a connection from Hamas 2 weeks ago, according to the AP.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to the portion connected Sunday to sermon a imaginable cease-fire and a hostage agreement. Although Hanna Siegel said that she "has religion that we tin bash a woody now," she besides called connected the Biden medication "to deliberation astir what they tin bash straight to bring our American citizens home" if negotiations neglect again.
"What I cognize is that the Biden medication has shown unwavering and relentless committedness to my household and the families of each of the hostages," she said. "And I cognize that it is their precedence to bring each hostages, including the Americans, home. And truthful I cognize that they are doing perfectly everything that they can."
Emily Mae Czachor is simply a newsman and quality exertion astatine CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing connected transgression and utmost weather. Emily Mae has antecedently written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
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