Latest news with #Gadi
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
What is the Mujahideen group that held Judith Weinstein, Gadi Haggai?
The Palestinian Mujahideen terrorist movement was the same group that took the Bibas family hostage. On June 5, the IDF said they had retrieved the bodies of Judith Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai. They were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz onOctober 7. Their bodies were held in Gaza for almost twenty months. Judith was seventy years old and Gadi was seventy-two when they were murdered. The IDF said that thePalestinian Mujahideen terrorist organization murdered the two. They had Israeli and US citizenship. This is the same terrorist group that is believed to have also kidnapped and killed Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir. Yarden Bibas, Shiri's husband and the father of the children was released on February 1, 2025. They were kidnapped from Nir Oz on October 7. Nir Oz was overrun by terrorists on October 7. It is a community of 420 residents of whom 386 were at the community on October 7. Forty-seven people were killed at Nir Oz on October 7, according to a full investigation the IDF conducted. However, the IDF did not reach Nir Oz until the terrorists had left the kibbutz. Terrorists attacked the Kibbutz around 6:50 am and held it until around noon, when the hundreds of terrorists began to leave. Several terrorist groups were involved in taking over the community and in massacre and kidnapping. What is known about the Mujahideen group? First, it is worth knowing a bit about the crimes of the group and the other terrorists on October 7. According to the investigation, seventy-six people were kidnapped from the community, sixty-seven of whom were alive. Thirteen of those 67 living hostages were killed in Gaza. By March 2025 a total of five hostages presumed to be alive were still held in Gaza and nine deceased hostages were held. Today, with the return of the bodies of Gadi and Judith, it would appear that seven deceased hostages are believed to be held in Gaza from the community, along with the living hostages. The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement is also known as the Palestinian Mujahideen Brigades. The group is believed to have been founded in 2006. The European Council on Foreign Relations says that 'The Mujahideen Brigades are the armed wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement. They operate in both Gaza and the West Bank (including Jenin). The secretary general of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement is Dr. As'ad Abu Shari'a. The Brigades have claimed responsibility for rocket fire against Israel and operate in cooperation with Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigades. The group also participated in the 7 October 2023 attacks against Israel alongside Hamas and several other Palestinian armed groups.' An article by Joe Truzman at FDD's Long War Journal in 2020 noted that the 'Mujahideen Brigades' military capability compares similarly to the other small militant groups in the Gaza Strip. Small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, locally-manufactured mortars, and short-range rockets make up the majority of the military capability the group possesses.' Throughout the war that began with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the Mujahideen have not played a major role. However, they have held the dead bodies of hostages, and they were involved in some fighting in Gaza. On June 4 a man named Abu Bilal, who is the spokesperson for the Mujahideen, had claimed that the IDF's casualties in Gaza are much larger than the IDF has said. He also said that the group has recruited many new members. This comes as Hamas continues to suffer losses. In general, the group does not put out many statements. On February 25, 2025, the group released a video that was shown on Middle East Eye. It showed a 'field commander' of the Mujahideen Brigades saying that Shiri Bibas was an 'active Israeli soldier,' as an excuse to why the group kidnapped her. The group claimed she and the children were killed in an airstrike and that the group also lost members who were guarding her. The group later took part in the handover ceremony of the corpses of Shiri and her two children on February 20. In early April 2025, the IDF eliminated Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad, who is believed to have been a senior member of the Mujahideen group. Awad "commanded the kidnappings of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel Bibas," during the October 7, 2023, atrocities and was "probably personally involved" in their murders, the IDF said on April 4. He is also believed to have been involved in kidnapping Gadi and Judith, and also kidnapping Thai workers. The Mujahideen terrorist group continues to play a role in Gaza. It both carries out attacks and tries to present itself as speaking on behalf of Palestinians. For instance, Middle East Eye said the group put out a statement in March condemning Israeli raids in the West Bank. "This new aggression is part of the policy of siege and starvation that targets the foundations of our people's steadfastness and aims to break their will," the group said. It clearly wants to expand its influence in Gaza and the West Bank.
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Bodies of Gadi and Judy Hagai, murdered by Hamas on October 7, returned from Gaza
The bodies of Gadi Hagai and Judy Weinstein Hagai, who were murdered by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attack were recovered from Gaza and returned to Israel on Wednesday night after 607 days. 'My beautiful parents have been released. We have certainty,' wrote daughter Iris on social media. 'We welcome the closing of the circle and their return to a proper burial at home, in Israel. We want to thank the IDF and security forces who were involved in the complex rescue operation and for fighting for us for more than a year and a half. However, our hearts will not be whole until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz are returned, and all 56 hostages in total.' Gadi Hagai, 72, and Judy Weinstein Hagai, 70, were both longtime residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz. Gadi, a dual US-Israeli citizen, was described as 'a sharp man, a gifted wind instrument player since the age of three,' a chef who left his position at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv to manage Nir Oz's dining hall, and a committed vegan who loved sports and the land. He had served in the IDF's elite Sayeret Shaked unit before joining the army orchestra. In the 1980s, he founded a band called Brit Jazz. After the couple's abduction, the family released some of the band's recordings. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Judy immigrated to Israel from Toronto age 24 and met Gadi at Kibbutz Ein HaShofet. A dual Canadian-Israeli citizen, she later became an English teacher with a focus on children with special needs and anxiety, and had recently studied mindfulness to help children through puppet theater. She was remembered as a 'poet, entrepreneur, and peace activist.' 'We are grateful to see them brought home for a proper burial in Israel,' the kibbutz said. 'Yet our hearts remain incomplete until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz — and all 56 hostages still held — return home.' President Isaac Herzog called the moment 'one of deep pain, but also one of solace and the resolution of uncertainty.' In a statement, he said: 'Judih and Gadi were murdered and abducted together from their home in the peace-loving Kibbutz Nir Oz – the place where they lived, raised a large family, and built their lives. Now, thanks to the rescue operation, they will be laid to rest together in dignity, in the land they so deeply loved.' The couple was killed during the initial Hamas assault on Nir Oz. While taking one of their routine morning walks, they encountered a terrorist squad in the fields. They were shot and kidnapped to Gaza. Army intelligence confirmed their deaths in December 2023. According to the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), the couple's remains were held by the Al Mujahideen Brigades, the same group responsible for the abduction of Yarden and Shiri Bibas and their two children, Ariel and Kfir. The Hagais are survived by four children and seven grandchildren. At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 56 remaining hostages, 33 are believed to be dead.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Teacher, poet, and entrepreneur: Who was slain hostage Judith Weinstein Haggai?
Judy was volunteering on the kibbutz when she heard Gadi playing the flute and fell in love, the kibbutz said. The body of hostage Judith Weinstein Haggai, a 70-year-old member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was returned to Israel early Thursday morning, the IDF announced. She and her husband, Gadi Haggai, were killed on October 7, 2023, and their bodies were taken to Gaza. Judy was 70 years old, a mother of four, and a grandmother of seven. She was an English teacher specializing in children with special needs, and she worked with children with anxiety by using meditation and mindfulness methods. She was a poet and entrepreneur, and was dedicated to working for peace and brotherhood, her kibbutz said. "Judi Weinstein Haggai had a habit of writing haiku every morning - a poem of one or two sentences - and posting it on Facebook," Kibbutz Nir Oz said on Instagram. "The last one she wrote was on October 7th. The poems she wrote over the years were published in poetry books." 'We welcome the closure that we have been granted and the return for burial of our loved ones, who went out for a walk on that Black Sabbath morning and never came back," the Weinstein Haggai family said Thursday. Nir Oz thanked the IDF and security forces who carried out the complex rescue operation. They also thanked "everyone who supported, struggled, prayed, and fought for us and for all of Israel," as well as the FBI, and the US and Israeli governments. "However, our hearts will not be whole until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz and all 56 hostages in total are brought back," the statement concluded. Judy and Gadi were the "power couple of Kibbutz Nir Oz." Judy was volunteering on the kibbutz when she heard Gadi playing the flute and fell in love, the kibbutz said. "They complete each other: he's a goofball, just like a little kid, always dancing and laughing, while Judy is an English teacher, taking care of children, and sharing meditation and mindfulness techniques," the kibbutz said. Haggai and his wife had been out walking early on October 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked them according to the Hostage Family Forum. Their daughter, Iris, heard in a phone call that they were hiding and that her father was injured and later lost contact with them. The terrorists kidnapped both of them and took them to Gaza.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Sharp, gifted musician': Who was Gadi Haggai, the hostage returned from Gaza captivity?
Haggai and his wife had been out walking early on October 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked them. The body of Israeli-American hostage Gadi Haggai, a 73-year-old resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was returned to Israel early Thursday morning, the IDF announced. Gadi was a father of four and a grandfather of seven. He and his wife, Judy Weinstein Haggai, were killed on October 7, 2023, and their bodies were taken to Gaza. 'We welcome the closure that we have been granted and the return for burial of our loved ones, who went out for a walk on that Black Sabbath morning and never came back," the Weinstein Haggai family said Thursday. The family thanked the IDF and security forces who carried out the complex rescue operation. They also thanked "everyone who supported, struggled, prayed, and fought for us and for all of Israel," as well as the FBI, and the US and Israeli governments. "However, our hearts will not be whole until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz and all 56 hostages in total are brought back," the family concluded. His family called Gadi a "gifted man, with sharp intellect and a love for wind instruments, which he played since he was a young child. He was a talented chef, and alongside his wife, Judy, he lived a healthy, active lifestyle,' Haaretz reported in December. Gadi was 'a sharp person, a gifted musician from the age of three, a chef and a follower of a healthy vegan diet," Kibbutz Nir Oz said. Judy and Gadi were the "power couple of Kibbutz Nir Oz." Judy was volunteering on the kibbutz when she heard Gadi playing the flute and fell in love, the kibbutz said. "They complete each other: he's a goofball, just like a little kid, always dancing and laughing, while Judy is an English teacher, taking care of children, and sharing meditation and mindfulness techniques," Haggai and his wife had been out walking early on October 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked them, according to the Hostage Family Forum. Their daughter, Iris, heard in a phone call that they were hiding and that her father was injured, and later lost contact with them. The terrorists kidnapped both of them and took them to Gaza.
ITV News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Bodies of husband and wife taken hostage by Hamas recovered from Gaza by Israeli forces
The bodies of two Israeli hostages have been returned from Gaza, Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The bodies of husband and wife, Judy Weinstein-Hagi, 70, and Gadi Hagi, 72, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, were recovered during a special operation by the Shin Bet, Israel's secrity agency, and the IDF. He said they were killed on October 7, 2023 and their bodies taken back to Gaza. In a statement Netenyahu said: "Together with all 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. "I would like to thank and honour the fighters and commanders for their determined and successful execution. "We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our abductees home - the living and the dead alike." The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said: "The return of Judi and Gadi for proper burial in their beloved homeland represents the closing of a circle and the fulfillment of the state's fundamental obligation to them." The hostages' families said: "The return of Judi and Gadi is painful and heartbreaking, yet it also brings healing to our uncertainty. "Their return reminds us all that it is the state's duty to bring everyone home, so that we, the families, together with all the people of Israel, can begin the process of healing and recovery."Decision-makers must do everything necessary to reach an agreement that will return all 56 remaining hostages, the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial. "There is no need to wait another 608 agonising days for this. "The mission can be completed as early as tomorrow morning. This is what the majority of the Israeli people want."We want to emphasise today, a grave is not a privilege. A grave is a basic human right, without which personal and national recovery is impossible."
