The bodies of elderly Israeli-American couple Judith Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai have been rescued from captivity in Khan Yonnis.
By Rachel Avraham
The bodies of two elderly US-Israeli hostages that were abducted during the Oct. 7 massacre have been recovered over a year after they were confirmed to have been killed in captivity, the New York Post reported. The Jerusalem Post reported that the bodies of hostages Judith Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai, were retrieved by the IDF in the early hours of Thursday morning in a special forces operation performed in collaboration with intelligence from the Shin Bet and the IDF.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the Mujahideen Brigades, the same terror group that murdered Shira Bibas and her two babies in captivity, kidnapped and held the bodies of the two in Gaza after they were murdered on October 7 in Kibbutz Nir Oz. According to the report, their deaths were determined in December 2023.
CBS News reported that the Israeli army said it recovered the remains of Weinstein and Haggai overnight into Thursday from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. According to the report, the Israeli military and Shin Bet said in a joint statement that the recovery was “made possible as a result of precise intelligence.” The Israeli Army Radio network reported that the relevant intelligence was gained via the “interrogations of terrorists who were taken prisoner” during military operations in Gaza.
CBS News reported that the couple were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Oct. 7 when Gazan terrorists stormed across the border and rampaged through Sderot, a number of military bases and farming communities, massacring 1,200 and taking 251 others hostage. According to the report, Weinstein was able to call emergency services and let them know that both she and her husband had been shot, and to send a message to her family. However, help did not arrive in time to save them.
“Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts ache for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed,” Netanyahu said in a statement, CBS News reported.
“My beautiful parents have been freed. We have certainty,” their daughter, Iris Haggai Liniado, told CBS News. She thanked the Israeli military, the FBI and the Israeli and U.S. governments and called for the release of the remaining 56 hostages held in Gaza. According to the report, Israeli authorities believe about 20 of those captives are still alive.
“Gadi was a man full of humor who knew how to make those around him laugh. A musician at heart, a gifted flutist, he played in the IDF Orchestra and was involved with music his whole life,” the Hostages Families Forum said in December 2023, Arutz Sheva reported.
Arutz Sheva added that Judith was an English teacher who specialized in working with children with special needs and attention and concentration problems. According to the report, she also helped children who suffered from anxiety and depression due to living under the constant threat of rockets from Gaza. The couple are survived by four children and seven grandchildren.
Photo from CBS Chicago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW5HzxW4dks
