The Media Line: Former Hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel Testify Before UN Committee Against Torture  

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Former Hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel Testify Before UN Committee Against Torture  

By The Media Line Staff  

Survivors of Hamas captivity delivered emotional testimony at the United Nations on Wednesday as part of Israel’s appearance before the UN Committee Against Torture, marking one of the most searing sessions since the war. The Israeli delegation—led by Justice Ministry Director General Itamar Donenfeld and Israel’s ambassador to UN institutions in Geneva—presented the country’s formal responses to the committee, while two former hostages described what they endured in Gaza.  

Donenfeld urged committee members to stay rooted in evidence rather than propaganda and said Israel’s obligations under the Convention Against Torture guide its actions. “The testimonies we heard here today aren’t just personal stories – they’re a moral and legal indictment against the world’s silence,” he said. He added that Israel expects the same standard to apply internationally, noting that “the international community’s silence facing torture, kidnappings, and abuse violates the very spirit of the Convention.”  

Keith Siegel, abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza and held for months, told the committee he spent long stretches in complete isolation. “I’m not asking for your mercy. I’m asking you to ensure the horrors the terrorists committed against me and others in captivity never happen again,” he said. Siegel described routine humiliation, threats with knives, denial of food and water, and guards who forced captives to strip. “Every basic human right was stripped from me,” he said.  

His wife, Aviva, recounted her own captivity, including the moment they were dragged underground with a bleeding child from their community. She said, “For 51 days, I was certain I’d die any moment,” describing severe hunger, contaminated water, and constant threats. She testified that young female captives were sexually assaulted, forced to undress, and abused at will by their captors. “The terrible thing for me was watching them torture my husband Keith and what they did to the girls,” she said.  

The Siegel testimonies were delivered alongside Israel’s periodic review under the Convention, a process held every four years. Israel’s delegation included representatives from multiple ministries, security bodies, and legal authorities. Donenfeld thanked them for their work and noted that the appearance reflected Israel’s commitment to fulfilling its treaty obligations despite the ongoing trauma faced by survivors.