Faith leaders weigh in on release of hostages, status of Keith Siegel: 'We are feeling hopeful'

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- After 15 months of brutal fighting in Gaza, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas officially went into effect on Sunday morning.

As part of the first phase of that agreement, hostages held in the Gaza Strip, as well as Palestinian prisoners in Israel, are being released. According to President Biden, at least two Americans will be freed in phase one of the deal -- which could include Chapel Hill native Keith Siegel.

ABC11 sat down with the interim Rabbi at Durham's Beth El Synagogue, where Siegel used to worship.

"We are feeling hopeful. But also there's a lot of preparation for heartbreak because we don't know what's coming next," said Rachel Posner, interim Rabbi at the synagogue.

Posner is filling in for the next six months for Rabbi Daniel Greyber, who is currently on sabbatical and plans to travel to Israel next month -- where he hopes to be reunited with Siegel. She called the last 15 months agonizing -- including last month with the passing of Keith's 97-year-old mother Gladys, who she called the "matriarch of Beth El".

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"Her family bravely and wisely withheld the news of Keith's captivity so that she could spend her last days with us in relative peace," Posner said of Gladys' passing.

As the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners now begins -- and countless families await news on loved ones, like Keith -- Posner called the moment complex and bittersweet.

"We're sharing a heartbeat with the people of Israel, the people of the region, and with the hostages," she said. "And we can't really feel a sense of true happiness until we see everybody returned and an end to this horrible war."

Keith's wife, Aviva, was released as part of a deal in November of 2023 and has since advocated for the release of the other hostages. Posner said she hopes Greyber is able to reunite with Siegel once he is released and deliver a message.

"That the people of North Carolina are praying for him, that the people of this congregation, of Durham and Chapel Hill, have not forgotten him," she said.

It's not clear at this point when Siegel will be released. ABC News reports that per the ceasefire agreement, hostages are being freed three at a time in seven-day increments before talks begin about the second phase of the deal.

On Sunday, hundreds of trucks carrying vital humanitarian aid entered Gaza, also a key component of that peace deal.

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