Transcript: Hanna Siegel on "Face the Nation," April 28, 2024

The pursuing is simply a transcript of an interrogation with Hanna Siegel, whose uncle Keith Siegel is being held hostage by Hamas, that aired connected April 28, 2024.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We are joined present by Hanna Siegel, whose uncle, Keith Siegel, is 1 of those American hostages. Good greeting to you, Hanna.

HANNA SIEGEL: Good morning, Margaret. Thank you for having me.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Thank you for speaking to us. I cognize that the Biden medication has reached retired to you and your family. The FBI is analyzing that video released yesterday. What stood retired to you? I deliberation this is the archetypal impervious of beingness truthful far? 

HANNA SIEGEL: We- we've ever believed that he's alive, we person to judge that he's alive. And his wife, my aunt, Aviva Siegel, who was held for 52 days, released successful the woody that took spot successful November, she was with him. And truthful we knew erstwhile she came out, she told america that helium was alive. But this is the archetypal clip that we're seeing him, that we're proceeding him. It's- it's surreal.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And you person 205 there. That's the fig of days helium has been held. In the video, your uncle, nether duress, mentions the protests that person been taking spot successful Israel, pressuring the authorities for a deal. Do you deliberation that a woody tin beryllium reached astatine this point, and is it up to the United States to adjacent it?

HANNA SIEGEL: I bash deliberation a woody tin beryllium reached. I mean, we- we cognize that. A woody was reached successful November. Dozens of women and children were released, including my aunt, Aviva Siegel. So we cognize that it's possible. And I bash deliberation that's truly important to remember. The United States plays a captious role. It played a captious relation successful November. I think, you know, 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. And, you know, for us, this is the moment. These videos- arsenic you know, determination was a video released a mates of days agone of different American hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin. 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- including Keith.

MARGARET BRENNAN: There are 133 hostages that we cognize of, 5 of them Americans. Why bash you judge it is not successful Prime Minister Netanyahu's involvement to chopped a woody to bring them home?

HANNA SIEGEL: I think, you know, determination is simply a batch swirling successful the governmental scenery successful Israel. And I'm not present to speech astir that. But determination person been negotiations going connected for months now. 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 think- 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. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is flying to the portion present and is going to speech astir a ceasefire and a hostage deal. Do you cognize if the Biden medication is considering making a woody to bring the Americans location without the Israeli government's support oregon relation here? 

HANNA SIEGEL: I don't know. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you privation them to look astatine that option?

HANNA SIEGEL: 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. 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. Keith successful this video, I mean, helium starts the video by saying however overmuch helium loves us. He loves our family. And he's evidently nether duress. He's gaunt. He looks weak. But that's real. I cognize that helium misses his family. He talks about, you know, I deliberation the hardest portion of the video is helium breaks down talking astir being unsocial connected Passover. Those of america Siegels successful America got unneurotic for Passover and those successful Israel got unneurotic for Passover. And we had- we had this small representation of Keith astatine the table, but he's not home. And truthful I person specified faith, and I person felt the committedness from the Biden administration, to get him back.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Keith's girl sent a recorded connection to protesters who were successful the streets successful Israel past nighttime and she said, "I request the country's leaders ticker the video and spot their begetter crying for help." Hamas released this arsenic propaganda. Why bash you deliberation watching that video is important? What- what bash you deliberation is not understood by the government?

HANNA SIEGEL: First of all, my cousins, Keith's kids and his wife, of people a hostage subsister herself, are incredibly brave and they person spent each azygous time going to anybody who volition perceive astir the satellite and telling them, reminding them, that determination are people's lives astatine stake. I deliberation there's truthful overmuch swirling successful the governmental realm that it's casual to hide that these are quality beings. Keith is simply a grandfather. He's a husband, he's a brother. He's an uncle. We're a very, precise adjacent family. And that's what we're feeling, much than immoderate of the governmental considerations, much than reasoning astir the time aft and what happens. Those are really, truly important questions. But I deliberation this video is simply a reminder that these are quality beings and they request to travel home.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The U.S. says Hamas is lasting successful the mode of a deal. Are you acrophobic that if an penetration of confederate Gaza, of Rafah, happens, that your uncle volition beryllium astatine hazard of death? 

HANNA SIEGEL: Very concerned. I mean he- helium talks successful the video astir bomb- proceeding bombs each astir him. And truthful we interest astir the information that he's being held underground by a violent group, of course. We interest astir the information that he's starving. When Aviva came out, she talked to america astir however they were opening to starve. And I can't ideate that that hasn't gotten truthful overmuch worse. You tin spot it connected his face. And we besides interest astir the bombs going disconnected astir him.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Of course. Of course. Hanna, convey you for reminding america astir the humanity here. And we privation you luck.

HANNA SIEGEL: Thank you truthful overmuch for having me.