‘60 Minutes’ host blasted for asking freed hostage if Hamas starved him because ‘they didn’t have food’

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘60 Minutes’ host Lesley Stahl faced heavy backlash online after she appeared to show sympathy toward Hamas during a Sunday night, March 31, interview where she talked to now-released Israeli-American hostage Keith Siegel.

The veteran journalist asked Siegel if he was starved by Hamas intentionally or if they didn’t have enough food to give him, as reported by Fox News.

The man was abducted by the terror group along with his wife Aviva on October 7, 2023, from their kibbutz in Israel.

Keith Siegel claims Hamas was ‘very cruel and violent’ to him

Though Aviva was released after 51 days, Keith Siegel was freed in February this year after 484 days of kidnapping.

Recently, he shared about the horrific experiences he faced while living in Hamas-controlled tunnels in Gaza with Stahl. 

He revealed, “The terrorists became very mean and very cruel and violent. Much more so. They were beating me and starving me.”

Lesley Stahl asks Keith Siegel if Hamas 'didn't have food' to give him

However, Lesley Stahl, 83, interrupted him, asking, “Do you think they starved you or they just didn’t have food?”

“No, I think they starved me, and they would often eat in front of me and not offer me any food,” Siegel replied.

He described the fear he was living in saying, “I felt that I was completely dependent on the terrorists, that my life relied on them — whether they were going to give me food, bring me water, protect me from the mobs that would lynch me," as per the Times of Israel.

The moment soon caught the eyes of the people online who began to slam Stahl for her apparent insensitivity.

Lesley Stahl faces severe online backlash

As soon as the interview clip spread online, people were quick to slam Lesley Stahl for appearing insensitive toward the plight of the hostages and "sympathizing" with Hamas.

"She's obviously trying to defend Hamas," a user wrote while reacting to the clip posted by the pro-Israel account Jews Fight Back.

Another user wrote, “Dear Lez @LesleyRStahl you and @60Minutes are a disgrace to tabloid journalism. #Cancel60Minutes.”

One posted, “She’s a horrible person. This man has been tortured. Why is she antagonizing him?”

“This woman needs to apologize to every human being on the planet. She's a terrorist sympathizer, which makes her a monster! She needs to take herself out to pasture. 60 minutes, shame on you b******s for airing this,” a person commented.

“Lesley Stahl loves Hammas and can see no evil in their actions,” a user alleged.

A tweet read, “Stahl continues to embarrass herself and her employer every time she opens her mouth. The bias here is just so obvious!!!!!”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.