Latest news with #Kibbutz
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bodies of two Israeli-American hostages recovered from Gaza in joint military operation
The bodies of two Israeli-American hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 were recovered from southern Gaza during a military operation, according to a statement from Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency. Judy Weinstein-Haggai, age 70, and Gadi Haggai, age 72, were killed near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas attack on southern Israel in 2023. 'Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our deepest condolences to the dear families,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. The prime minister thanked the soldiers and commanders involved in the operation and vowed to return all remaining hostages held in Gaza. 'We will not rest and we will not be silent until all our hostages — both the living and the fallen — are brought home,' he said. A spokesperson for Kibbutz Nir Oz said the bodies of the two hostages had been returned to Israel overnight and would be laid to rest. The couple had four children and seven grandchildren. In a statement the Kibbutz remembered Gadi as 'a sharp-minded man, a gifted wind instrument player since the age of three, deeply connected to the land, a chef and advocate of healthy vegan nutrition and sports.' and Judy as 'a poet, entrepreneur, creative spirit, and devoted advocate for peace and coexistence.' A statement from the family, provided by the Nir Oz spokesperson expressed gratitude for the return of their missing loved ones. 'We are grateful for the closure we have been granted and for the return of our loved ones for burial — they went out for a walk on that Black Saturday morning and never came back. In this emotional moment, we want to thank the IDF and security forces who carried out this complex rescue operation and have been fighting for us for over a year and a half, and to everyone who supported, struggled, prayed, and fought for us and for all the people of Israel,' it said. The family also thanked the US administration, the Israeli government, and the FBI for their 'tireless work and ongoing support.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
France 24
5 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Israel recovers the bodies of two hostages held in Gaza in special operation
Israel has recovered the bodies of two hostages taken in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip, officials said Thursday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of Judith Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the army and the Shin Bet internal security agency. '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,' he said in a statement. Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72, in December 2023. The military said they were killed in the October 7 attack and that their bodies were recently recovered from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The couple were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of October 7 when Hamas militants stormed across the border and rampaged through several army bases and farming communities. 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. Weinstein was born in New York and taught English to children with special needs at Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small community near the Gaza border. The kibbutz said she also taught meditation techniques to children and teenagers who suffered from anxiety as a result of rocket fire from Gaza. Haggai was a retired chef and jazz musician. The couple were survived by two sons and two daughters and seven grandchildren, the kibbutz said. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. They are still holding 56 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 10 people in the battered Palestinian territory on Thursday as the military keeps up an intensified offensive. "Ten martyrs so far resulting from Israeli strikes since dawn," agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP, adding that they had targeted an area where displaced civilians were sheltering in the southern city of Khan Younis and houses in Gaza City and the central town of Deir el-Balah.
