By Raul Castillo
Dec 28, 2023, 3:04 PM EST
Judith Weinstein Haggai, a 70-year-old woman with U.S. citizenship who was thought to have been taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7, was actually killed during the initial attack, a spokesman for Kibbutz Nir Oz said in a statement Thursday.
Weinstein Haggai, an Israeli, American and Canadian national, was murdered by Hamas terrorists on the day of the attack and her body remains unclaimed somewhere in Gaza.
The woman was attacked in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz along with her husband, Gadi Haggai, 72, a dual US-Israeli national. “Their bodies remain in captivity by Hamas,” the spokesman said.
The spokesperson added that Weinstein was “fatally wounded” on October 7 and that his death “has now been confirmed.”
The 70-year-old woman was a mother of four children and grandmother of seven. Furthermore, she taught English at the kibbutz and specialized in working with children with special needs. She was dedicated to working for peace and brotherhood, according to a report from local Israeli media cited by The Messenger.
Last November, the couple’s daughter, Iris, told CBS News that she had seen video evidence that her father had been murdered and at the time explained that she had had no updates about her mother.
“The hostages who were released did not see her. They didn’t know anything about her. I don’t have any proof of life for my mom. Nothing,” she declared to the aforementioned media, just when the releases of other hostages were taking place.
Authorities mourn his death
Weinstein Haggai had family ties to the New York area, according to CBS News.
Faced with the news, New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Heartbroken to learn that Judith Weinstein was murdered during the October 7th attack. My heart goes out to her family abroad and to those who are still here in New York. May her memory be a blessing and may the many hostages still in captivity be brought home safely.”
Senator Chuck Schumer called the news “devastating.” “I am grieving and praying for them. We must continue working to bring the hostages home. We can’t wait,” he wrote.
On December 25, President Joe Biden referred to the death of the American, which at that time had not been confirmed.
The Democrat said that both he and first lady Jill Biden are “heartbroken by the news that Hamas is now believed to have killed American Gadi Haggai on October 7.”
“Those families shared with me the terrible experience they have gone through in recent months waiting for news of their loved ones,” the president said in the statement.
Biden said that the situation is “intolerable” and reaffirmed his “commitment” to not stop making his best efforts to ensure that the kidnapped people can return home.
It must be remembered that the terrorist group Hamas has killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. A temporary ceasefire in November led to the release of 105 hostages, however, according to Israeli authorities, some 129 people are still being held hostage in Gaza.
With information from The Messenger and CBS News.
Keep reading:
- Biden mourned death of Israeli-American believed to be held captive by Hamas, wife may remain kidnapped
- Netanyahu warns that war will “continue until the end” after visiting troops in Gaza
- Egypt proposes two-week Hamas truce in exchange for freeing 40 Israeli hostages