Israeli-American hostage bodies recovered, returned to Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages taken during the October 7 Hamas attack have been found. The deceased have been returned to Israel.
Judih Weinstein, Haggai and Gad Haggai, the two Israeli-Americans, were taken from the Nir Oz kibbutz during the October 7 attack on Israel conducted by Hamas. During the pair’s morning walk, the Hamas militants crossed the Israeli border and rampaged through multiple military bases and local communities. Judih Weinstein, Haggai and Gad Haggai were injured, then apprehended. In the early morning hours, Weinstein managed to contact emergency services to report that she and her husband had been shot, and she also sent a message to her family.
In December 2023, the Nir Oz kibbutz confirmed the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72. According to the military, the couple was killed during the 7 October 2023 attack, and their bodies were recently recovered from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the couple’s remains were recovered during a special operation conducted by the army in coordination with the Shin Bet internal security agency. According to AP he said in the statement: "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."
The recovery coincides with the US veto on the resolution draft on the Gaza ceasefire. The proposed document calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the release of all hostages, and unhindered access to humanitarian aid. The US representative in the U.N. Security Council vetoed the proposition, whereas the Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon responded to the members of the Council who voted in favour of the resolution: "You chose appeasement and submission. You chose a road that does not lead to peace. Only to more terror."
