BREAKING NEWS IDF recovers bodies of US-Israeli couple who were murdered and taken to Gaza on October 7
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday the bodies of two Israelis killed in Hamas 's October 7, 2023 attack and held in Gaza had been returned to Israel.
'In a special operation by the (security agency) and the (military) in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of two of our hostages held by the murderous terrorist organisation Hamas were returned to Israel: Judy Weinstein-Haggai and Gad Haggai from Kibbutz Nir Oz, may their memory be blessed,' Netanyahu said in a statement.
'Judy and Gad were murdered on October 7 and abducted to the Gaza Strip,' he added.
'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,' he added.
Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein and Haggai, both in their early 70s, in December 2023.
The couple were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of October 7 when Hamas militants burst across the border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251.
In the early hours of the morning, Weinstein was able to call emergency services and let them know that both she and her husband had been shot and send a message to her family.
The couple were survived by two sons and two daughters and seven grandchildren, the kibbutz said.
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