First Lady Melania Trump Meets With Freed Israeli Hostage

First Lady Melania Trump meets with Keith Siegel, a freed American-Israeli hostage, and his wife Aviva Siegel, Wednesday, February 4, 2026 in the Blue Room of the White House. Keith Siegel was freed in February 2025, after 484 days in Hamas captivity, and his wife Aviva Siegel was released in November 2023. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

In an official White House meeting, first lady Melania Trump met with freed hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel

Article by Abigail Gambla, Chief White House Producer

WASHINGTON - On Feb 4, First Lady Melania Trump invited freed American-Israeli hostages Keith Siegel and his wife Aviva Siegel to the White House. 

The armed conflict known as the Gaza war started on Oct 7, 2023. Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel from the Gaza strip, killing nearly 1,200 people including 46 US citizens. Nearly 251 people were then taken hostage, including Keith and Aviva Siegel. The two were abducted from their home and long-time residence in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.

“I just want to mention the extraordinary mobilization in the fight for Aviva and my and all of the hostages' freedom and how it moved me deeply and how it showed the true meaning of holding on to hope even in the most difficult moments,” Keith related to the first lady. He was freed after 484 days of being held hostage when the US brokered a ceasefire with Israel in February 2025. 

His wife, Aviva, had been freed under a previous ceasefire in November 2023 after 51 days of captivity. The first lady had met with Aviva previously in January 2025 before Trump had taken office. 

“Aviva is a warrior. She was fighting very hard for Keith and I know he suffered a lot,” Melania said about what she had learned from the meeting with Aviva.

The meeting, which was previously undisclosed, was featured in Melania’s newly released film Melania documenting her first 20 days at the White House leading to the president’s inauguration. 

Aviva thanked Melania for the attention she brought to the hostage crisis. “I want to thank you for putting me in your special Melania film because I would think talking was you, not for myself but for the whole world. Bringing the hostages home was the most important thing I could think about in this world and now it's all over the world- the bad things that Hamas did to my husband.”

In that meeting, Aviva gifted the first lady a handmade book on the brutal events surrounding the fateful day of Oct. 7, 2023. Melania shared the book with President Trump later that evening, sharing Keith’s story as well. 

“I know he was fighting for all of the hostages, and as we know now, all of the hostages are free and home with their families,” the First Lady said regarding her husband’s efforts with Israel. 

Keith and Aviva continue to support refugees as well, having just visited Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, one of the largest in the world. “We have a mission ahead of us to help others who are struggling and this is our new mission in life. This is the road we are on,” Keith said. 

Melania told the press that she continues to fight for hostages and refugees across the world, including those in Ukraine. In response to the press, Melania related, “I hope we have success very soon.”