Latest news with #JudyWeinsteinHaggai
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Israel PM says bodies of 2 hostages retrieved from Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the bodies were being 'held by the murderous terrorist organisation Hamas'. (AP pic) JERUSALEM : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that the bodies of two Israeli-Americans killed in Hamas's Oct 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.' A joint statement from the army and the Shin Bet security agency said that the bodies were recovered from the Khan Yunis area of the southern Gaza Strip in an overnight operation. 'The rescue operation was conducted by… troops in coordination with the intelligence directorate and special forces,' it added. The spokesman for the kibbutz in southern Israel where the elderly couple lived said in a statement that 'after more than 600 days of pain and waiting, the bodies of Gad Haggai and Judy Weinstein Haggai were brought back home to the State of Israel and to Nir Oz last night in a military operation'. The kibbutz said Gad Haggai was 72 at the time of the October 2023 attack and Judy Weinstein Haggai was 70. Gad, a music lover and talented cook, and Judy, a former English teacher, have four children and seven grandchildren, according to the kibbutz. 'We welcome the closure of the circle and their return for a proper burial at home, in Israel,' the family was quoted as saying in the statement from Kibbutz Nir Oz. 'We want to thank the (military) and security forces involved in the complex rescue operation and for fighting for us for over a year and a half, and to everyone who supported, fought, prayed and struggled for us and for the entire people of Israel,' they added. Israel has recently stepped up its offensive in Gaza in what it says is a bid to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4,335 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,607, mostly civilians. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's attack, 55 remain in captivity, including 32 the Israeli military says are dead.
LBCI
3 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Israeli PM says bodies of two hostages retrieved from Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday the bodies of two Israelis killed in Hamas' 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 organization 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. AFP
The Journal
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Israeli forces recover bodies of two hostages taken on 7 October
ISRAELI FORCES HAVE recovered the bodies of two people who were captured during the Hamas-led attack of October 2023. Gad Haggai and Judy Weinstein Haggai were residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the communities hit the hardest by the Hamas-led attack, with nearly a quarter of its residents killed or taken hostage. In an operation conducted by Israeli intelligence services and the military, 'the bodies of two of our hostages, held by the murderous terrorist organisation Hamas, were returned to Israel,' the country's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X. He said the two dead hostages were 'murdered on 7 October and abducted to the Gaza Strip'. ' The heart aches for this most terrible loss,' he said. 'We will not rest nor be silent until we bring all our hostages home—both the living and the fallen.' The Families of the Hostages Embrace the Weinstein-Haggai Family in This Solemn Time. 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 hostage… — Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) June 5, 2025 An Israeli military official said the couple were killed on the morning of October 7 by fighters of the Mujahideen Brigades, an armed group close to Hamas ally Islamic Jihad. According to the kibbutz, 117 residents were killed and more than 60 percent of its houses were destroyed during the attack. Advertisement A joint statement from the army and the Shin Bet security agency said that the bodies were recovered from the Khan Younis area of the southern Gaza Strip in an overnight operation. 'The rescue operation was conducted by… troops in coordination with the intelligence directorate and special forces,' it added. The spokesperson for the kibbutz in southern Israel where the elderly couple lived said in a statement that 'after more than 600 days of pain and waiting, the bodies of Gad Haggai and Judy Weinstein Haggai were brought back home to the State of Israel and to Nir Oz last night in a military operation'. The kibbutz said Gad Haggai was 72 at the time of the October 2023 attack and Judy Weinstein Haggai was 70. Gad, a music lover and talented cook, and Judy, a former English teacher, have four children and seven grandchildren, according to the kibbutz. 'We welcome the closure of the circle and their return for a proper burial at home, in Israel,' the family was quoted as saying in the statement from Kibbutz Nir Oz. The Hamas-led attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Another 251 people were also taken hostage, most of whom have been released in captive exchanges during ceasefires. Need more information on what is happening in Israel and Palestine? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to navigating the news online. Visit Knowledge Bank
Wall Street Journal
3 days ago
- General
- Wall Street Journal
Israeli Forces Recover Bodies of American-Israeli Couple Taken Into Gaza
TEL AVIV—Israel's military on Thursday said it retrieved the bodies of an American-Israeli couple who were killed during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack and whose bodies were taken into Gaza. Judy Weinstein Haggai and her husband Gad Haggai, both in their 70s, were killed by members of a group called Kitab al-Mujahidin, a Gaza-based Palestinian militant group that isn't affiliated with Hamas. The group then took the couple's bodies into Gaza and has held them there since, the Israeli military said.
News24
4 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Israel returns 2 bodies of Hamas hostages in Gaza in ‘special operation'
Israel recovered the bodies of two hostages taken by Hamas. They were named as Judy Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai. Israel has recently stepped up its offensive in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the bodies of two Israeli-Americans killed in Hamas' 7 October 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.' A joint statement from the army and the Shin Bet security agency said that the bodies were recovered from the Khan Yunis area of the southern Gaza Strip in an overnight operation. 'The rescue operation was conducted by... troops in coordination with the intelligence directorate and special forces,' it added. READ | Gaza aid centres close and 'are considered combat zones' after Israel fire killed 27 The spokesperson for the kibbutz in southern Israel where the elderly couple lived said in a statement that 'after more than 600 days of pain and waiting, the bodies of Gad Haggai and Judy Weinstein Haggai were brought back home to the State of Israel and to Nir Oz last night in a military operation'. Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP The kibbutz said Gad Haggai was 72 at the time of the October 2023 attack and Judy Weinstein Haggai was 70. Gad, a music lover and talented cook, and Judy, a former English teacher, have four children and seven grandchildren, according to the kibbutz. 'We welcome the closure of the circle and their return for a proper burial at home, in Israel,' the family was quoted as saying in the statement from Kibbutz Nir Oz. 'We want to thank the (military) and security forces involved in the complex rescue operation and for fighting for us for over a year and a half, and to everyone who supported, fought, prayed and struggled for us and for the entire people of Israel,' they added. Ronen Zvulun/Pool/AFP Israel has recently stepped up its offensive in Gaza in what it says is a bid to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1 218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4 335 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March, taking the war's overall toll to 54 607, mostly civilians. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas' attack, 55 remain in captivity, including 32 the Israeli military says are dead.
