By Chris Summers
Contributing Writer
Israel has recovered the bodies of two Israeli American hostages, Judi Lynn Weinstein and Gad Haggai, in the Khan Younis area of the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.
Weinstein, 70, and her 72-year-old husband — who was also a Canadian citizen — were among 31 people abducted from the Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel during the attacks by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023.
The kibbutz announced the death of the couple — who had four children — in December 2023.
In a Thursday statement posted to its Telegram channel, the IDF said, “In a joint IDF and ISA [Israel Security Agency, sometimes known as Shin Bet] operation tonight, the bodies of the couple Judi Lynn Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered from the Khan Yunis area in the Gaza Strip.”
The IDF said the couple was abducted and “brutally murdered” by terrorists of the Palestinian Mujahideen, a terrorist organization that operated alongside Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
The IDF added that following an identification procedure “the family and the community of Nir Oz were notified.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on social media platform X, “Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts grieve over this terrible loss. May their memories be blessed.”
Weinstein and Haggai were abducted while taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023.
New York-born Weinstein was able to call emergency services and convey that they had both been shot. She asked the operator to get a message to her family.
She taught English to children with special needs at the kibbutz, which was close to the Gaza border. The kibbutz said she also taught meditation techniques to children who suffered from anxiety as a result of regular rocket fire from Gaza.
Haggai was a retired chef and jazz musician.
The conflict in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages into the strip of territory they controlled.
A cease-fire was agreed to in January, and several hostages were handed over in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but it ended on March 1.
Before the announcement about Weinstein and Haggai, Israel had said Hamas was still holding 58 hostages, although only 23 of them are believed to be alive.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
