US citizen appears as one of two hostages in new Hamas kidnap video in fresh proof that terror group have not yet killed him

A US citizen is one of two hostages to speak in a new kidnap video released by Hamas today. 

Keith Siegel, 64, appears alongside Omri Miran, 46, in the edited three-minute video, which sees the pair call for a hostage deal between Hamas and Israel.

The proof-of-life clip seems to have been recorded recently with Mr Siegel mentioning the Passover holiday, which began on April 22, and Mr Miran saying he has been held captive for 202 days, which suggests he was speaking on April 26.

Mr Siegel was kidnapped by Hamas at his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the October 7 attacks. 

His wife Aviva was also taken captive during the raid but was released as part of a deal in November.

Keith Siegel (pictured, in today's video) was kidnapped by Hamas at his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the October 7 attacks

Omri Miran (pictured), 46, also appears in the edited three-minute video, which sees the pair call for a hostage deal between Hamas and Israel

Mr Miran, an Israeli citizen, was kidnapped on the same day from Kibbutz Nir Oz.

In the video, the hostages urge demonstrators in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to continue protesting for captives to be released.

The pair said: 'Only under pressure will the government conclude a deal with Hamas.'

Mr Siegel and Mr Miran added that they hope to be home by Independence Day on May 13, i24 News reports. 

In a statement following the video's release, the families' headquarters said: 'The sign of life from Kit Segal and Amri Miren are the clearest proof that the Israeli government should do everything to approve a deal to return all the abducted even before Independence Day, the living to be rehabilitated, and the murdered to be buried with dignity.'

Mr Siegel, who is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, moved to Israel 40 years ago. 

According to Bring Them Home Now, the 64-year-old works as an occupational therapist. 

Elsewhere, he and his wife have been described as 'humanitarian workers living in Kfar Aza.'

Mr Siegel (pictured), who is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, moved to Israel 40 years ago

The latest video comes after a proof-of-life clip of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin (pictured) was released on Wednesday, nearly seven months after he was kidnapped following the brutal October 7 invasion 

He was one of around 250 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 

Israel has said several times that it plans to evacuate displaced civilians from Rafah ahead of a six-week military operation that will likely begin in May

Relatives of hostages, held by Hamas, gather to stage a protest against the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and demanding an end to the war and immediate return of them to their homes

Mr Siegel's sister Lucy and niece Hanna attended President Joe Biden's State of the Union address last month as guests of Republican Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis.

Other US hostages, including Edan Alexander, Itai Chen, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Omer Neutra and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were represented by family members in the House chamber with 17 relatives in total attending the speech on March 8.

The two released hostages represented were Liat Beinin Atzili and Avigail Idan, who turned four in captivity before being released during a truce in November. The two murdered hostages represented were Judy Weinstein and Gad Haggai.

More than 100 captives were exchanged for Palestinian detainees during a break in the fighting in November. 

The Biden administration is pushing for a second temporary ceasefire to trade some of the remaining hostages.

The latest video comes after a proof-of-life clip of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin was released on Wednesday, nearly seven months after he was kidnapped following the brutal October 7 invasion.

The 24-year-old, born in California in March 2000, who was taken from the Nova Festival on October 7, was seen in the video blaming Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for leaving him with the terror group for 200 days.

Hamas said on Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said the Palestinian militant group was evaluating Israel's proposal, and 'upon completion of its study, it will submit its response'.

He gave no details of Israel's offer but said it was in response to a proposal from Hamas two weeks ago.

Negotiations earlier this month centred on a six-week ceasefire proposal and the release of 40 civilian and sick hostages in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Hamas's statement came hours after a high-level Egyptian delegation wrapped up a visit to Israel where it discussed a "new vision" for a prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, according to an Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It was not immediately clear whether Israel's latest response to Hamas on a ceasefire was directly related to Friday's visit to Tel Aviv by Egyptian mediators.

The discussions between Egyptian and Israeli officials focused on the first stage of a multi-phase plan that would include a limited exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners, and the return of a significant number of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza 'with minimum restrictions', the Egyptian official said.

Mr Siegel's sister Lucy and niece Hanna attended President Joe Biden's State of the Union address last month as guests of Republican Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis 

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and other Democrats wore scarves at the address to show their support for Gaza

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) (left) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) (right) held up signs calling for a ceasefire in Gaza

Hamas sparked the war with its attack into southern Israel on October 7, in which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took some 250 people as hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

Since then, 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground offensive, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, around two-thirds of them children and women.

Israel has reported at least 260 of its soldiers killed since the start of ground operations in Gaza.