IDF forces recovered the remains of two American-Israeli hostages from Gaza on Thursday, bringing closure to a family whose fate had remained uncertain since the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Judith Weinstein-Haggai, 70, and her husband Gad Haggai, 72, were killed during the Hamas-led assault on their kibbutz and their bodies subsequently taken into Gaza. The couple from Kibbutz Nir Oz were among the 251 people taken hostage during the attacks that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis.
The recovery operation, conducted jointly by the Israeli military and Shin Bet domestic security agency, was made possible through what officials described as “precise intelligence.” Their remains had been held by members of the Mujahideen Brigades, the armed terror wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, according to Israeli authorities.
Former President Joe Biden announced in December 2023 that both Weinstein-Haggai and her husband had been killed on October 7, clarifying their status after weeks of uncertainty about their fate.
“Our hearts ache for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said following the recovery. “We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our abductees home — the living and the dead alike.”
The couple’s recovery leaves two other American-Israeli hostages still believed to be held in Gaza: Itay Chen, 19, and Omer Neutra, 21. Their bodies are thought to remain in Hamas captivity. Edan Alexander, previously believed to be the last living U.S. citizen held in Gaza, was freed on May 12.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing families of those still held, said the return of the couple’s remains “for proper burial in their beloved homeland represents the closing of a circle and the fulfillment of the state’s fundamental obligation to them.” The organization continues pressing the Israeli government to secure a ceasefire agreement that would bring home the more than 50 hostages who remain in Gaza, both living and dead.
Meanwhile, ceasefire negotiations have repeatedly stalled, with the most recent agreement collapsing in March. Both Israeli and Hamas officials have blamed each other for the failure to reach a new truce as the conflict continues into its eighth month.
Source link
