Executive Branch

First Lady Hosts Freed American-Israeli Hostage at the White House

Melania Trump played a key role in helping free Keith Siegel, who was released on Feb. 1, 2025.
First Lady Hosts Freed American-Israeli Hostage at the White House
First Lady Melania Trump (L) comforts freed American Israeli hostage Aviva Siegel (R) at the White House on Feb. 4, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times
Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

WASHINGTON—First Lady Melania Trump hosted on Feb. 4 the freed American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel and his wife, Aviva Siegel, in the White House.

The couple was taken hostage by the Hamas terrorist group during the deadly Oct. 7 attacks against Israel in 2023 from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Azam, one of the hardest hit communities. While Aviva Siegel was released in November 2023, Keith Siegel remained in captivity until Feb. 1, 2025.
Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Reporter
Emel Akan is a senior White House correspondent for The Epoch Times, where she covers the policies of the Trump administration. Previously, she reported on the Biden administration and the first term of President Trump. Before her journalism career, she worked in investment banking at JPMorgan. She holds an MBA from Georgetown University.
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