On October 7, 2023, Aviva Siegel and her husband Keith were among 251 hostages taken during a devastating Hamas attack on Israel. While Aviva returned after 51 days in captivity, Keith, a US citizen who moved to Israel from North Carolina in 1980, remains a hostage in Gaza. Their niece, Tal Wax, 30, recounts the events of that day and shares the emotional toll the family continues to endure as they wait for his return, alongside others that Hamas is still holding captive.
TML: It's a difficult day today, marking one year since October 7. How are you feeling as we reflect on everything that has happened over the past year?
Tal Wax: It’s very difficult to answer this question. If I had to choose one word, it would be 'scared.' I’m scared for my uncle, scared for the other 100 hostages. It has been an incredibly traumatizing year for everyone in Israel.
When October 7 happened, it was hard for us to comprehend that something like this could even occur. A year later, it’s still ongoing. We still have 101 hostages who, day after day, are being tortured and kept in inhumane conditions. Women are enduring sexual abuse while held hostage by a terrorist organization. It’s a devastating reality for all of Israel, but especially for the families.
Beyond the struggle and the grief many families are facing, we also have to remain strong for the hostages who are yet to return.
TML: I know this is an incredibly painful moment, but could you briefly walk me through what happened on October 7 of last year? How did you find out that Keith and Aviva had been taken into captivity?
Tal Wax: On October 7 last year, we were woken up by alarms at 6:30 am, with sirens telling us to go to a shelter. At that moment, I automatically sent a message to Aviva, as everyone was trying to check in on each other. We knew the attack was coming from Gaza, but at that point, we still didn’t know about the terrorist infiltrations. By 6 am, we were still unsure of what was going on. Aviva did mention that something was off, describing it as crazy.
My cousin Shai, Aviva and Keith’s other son, also lived on the kibbutz [Kfar Aza], and he was there on October 7. We were also in contact with him. He told us that he could hear Hamas terrorists near his house, gunshots, and people screaming in Arabic—he confirmed that terrorists were in the kibbutz. Around 10 am, Aviva and Keith stopped responding to our messages. We knew they didn’t have much battery left and mentioned they wouldn’t be able to contact us frequently, but eventually, there was no contact at all, and we didn’t know what had happened. As hours passed with no news, we grew increasingly anxious.
Eventually, Shai was rescued by the IDF, and he told them they had to look for his parents at the kibbutz. When the army reached their house, they called to tell us the home was empty.
Initially, Keith and Aviva were considered missing, but soon after, they appeared in a Hamas video. You can see them in the backseat of Keith’s car, driven by Hamas terrorists, surrounded by a crowd on motorcycles, shooting into the air, celebrating. We were in shock—people were celebrating the kidnapping of Keith and Aviva. That’s when it was confirmed—they had been taken, along with 19 other people from the kibbutz.
Since then, we had no information until Aviva’s release, 51 days later. The only update we’ve had about Keith was a video published by Hamas at the end of April, where he speaks to the camera, cries, says he misses us, that he’s OK, and asks us not to worry.
We don’t know when the video was recorded. This is part of Hamas’s psychological warfare. We know from other hostages and Aviva that Hamas constantly records the hostages. If they don’t like the result, they make them redo the footage, directing them to either cry or not cry on camera. It’s incredibly difficult for us, knowing the circumstances under which the video was filmed.
TML: How did it feel when Aviva was rescued and released? What was that moment like for you?
Tal Wax: It felt surreal. I think it was one of the happiest days of my life—to see her alive and well. Although it was clear she had been through a lot—she was very pale and had lost more than 10 kilos during the 51 days in captivity—she was there, talking to us. You could still see that she was Aviva.
One thing she kept saying, even from the moment she arrived, was that Keith is the best man in the world. She reassured us right away, saying, 'Don’t worry, Keith is coming back in two days.' Hamas had told her, 'You go to Israel, and tomorrow, no, the day after, we will also send Keith.' But we’re still waiting.
TML: How has this past year affected you and your family personally? It's hard to grasp the extent of the damage, but could you describe the emotions and the changes in the dynamic within your family during this time?
Tal Wax: At the beginning, when both Aviva and Keith were being held in Gaza, the whole family was in shock. We couldn’t process what was happening—that they were taken from their home, from their safe space, a place they should never have been taken from.
After Aviva came back, everything changed. Initially, we had hoped that, despite being held hostage, they were at least being treated under humane conditions. We hoped they were given food, water, and basic necessities. But when Aviva returned, we had to confront the harsh reality—that this was not the case in Gaza.
We learned they had been starved, tortured, and witnessed unspeakable acts of cruelty. This has had a profound impact on us as a family. We still don’t know where Keith is. We don’t know if he’s with other hostages or if he’s alone.
As a family, we were very humble and anonymous. But now, we’ve been exposed to such cruelty that we feel we must step out of that anonymity. We need to explain to the world what’s happening. We have to plead for help to bring back all the hostages.
TML: Tal, as a relative of both a former hostage and a current hostage, what are your thoughts on the actions of the Israeli government? How do you feel about the steps they’ve taken?
Tal Wax: I think it’s incredibly difficult to be in the position of signing a deal. We must not forget that on the other side of the table, we are negotiating with a terrorist group—Hamas—that infiltrated Israel on October 7 with the sole intention of killing, raping, torturing, and kidnapping. We cannot lose sight of the fact that we are dealing with Hamas, a terrorist organization.
I believe it’s very challenging, but I do think a deal is possible, as we’ve seen in the past. The only way to bring back the 101 remaining hostages is through negotiation. We must push our government, with the support of the American and Qatari governments, to sign a deal that will bring all our loved ones home.
TML: Have you been receiving any support from the government or other humanitarian organizations? If so, what kind of support have they provided, and how has it impacted you?
Tal Wax: First of all, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has been a tremendous help for us. We are constantly supported, and at any time, we can reach out to someone for assistance. Beyond that, Israel is very community-focused. We truly feel that the people of Israel know our family and are deeply invested in bringing them home. There’s a strong sense of support from the country, and it’s clear that Israel wants to see our family members return safely.
Unfortunately, we haven’t received the level of support we had hoped for from international community organizations, particularly the Red Cross. We’re talking about hostages of all ages, including those as old as 85, who require medication that the Red Cross has neither been able to deliver nor made significant efforts to do so. We desperately need help from these international organizations, which have a presence in Gaza, to assist in reaching the hostages and, hopefully, bringing them back as soon as possible.
TML: How does it feel to have been without this crucial support for an entire year?
Tal Wax: At first, we didn’t understand why there wasn’t more support. We had all these videos and evidence of what was happening—the violence against women, the testimonies of released hostages—yet their words were repeatedly questioned. While it can be frustrating at times to feel this lack of response from the international community, we know we must continue to cooperate and share our stories with anyone who will listen.
I believe that by telling our stories and explaining everything that has happened, we can influence the decisions made by our government and others. We need to build a better future for both sides, and I believe that only when the international community, Israel, and the Palestinians realize that peace and the rehabilitation of the region can come through a deal to bring back the 101 remaining hostages, will we begin to see progress.
TML: Can you tell me more about Keith and Aviva? How have they personally impacted your life, and what kind of people are they?
Tal Wax: Aviva and Keith are incredibly humble people. Aviva is a preschool teacher, and Keith works as an occupational therapist. He is deeply into yoga and meditation, and he’s a very calm person. Anyone who knows Keith knows that he would never say a bad word about anyone. Aviva is just as kind, and Keith’s calmness is something everyone around him notices.
TML: I’d like to ask more about Aviva, if that’s OK. How is she feeling today? It must be incredibly hard for her. How is she coping, and where is she now?
Tal Wax: I’ve been with Aviva all day, and of course, it’s an incredibly difficult day for her. A year ago, she was kidnapped and taken from her home along with her husband, and now, a year later, Keith is still there. She knows all too well what it feels like to be a hostage in the tunnels of Gaza. Despite everything, she is one of the strongest women I know.
TML: What do you miss most about Keith?
Tal Wax: I think it’s just his presence that I miss the most. Israel can be a very chaotic place, and while we’re not a huge family, we’re definitely loud. Keith’s calmness was always a grounding force. He had such wisdom, and with any problem, you could go to him, and he’d give you thoughtful advice. He’s just a genuinely good person.
TML: Tal, is there a message you’d like to share with the international community or the people of Israel—or perhaps both?
Tal Wax: The only message I keep repeating is: bring them home. Help us bring our families back. We need the support of everyone so that Keith and the other 100 hostages can return home.