Latest news with #WeinsteinHaggai
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Israeli military recovers bodies of 2 Victims of Oct. 7 Attack
The couple had left their kibbutz for a walk early on Oct. 7, 2023, and were caught up in the attack. Weinstein Haggai contacted emergency services for help, according to a recording published by the Israeli news website Ynet. In the call, she said she believed her husband was dead and that she had been struck in the face. She pleaded for rescuers to 'save me' and said 'everything is covered in blood.' Israeli authorities say that about 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 attacks, with another about 250, most of whom were civilians, taken to Gaza as hostages. Advertisement The retrieval of the bodies of Weinstein Haggai and of Haggai brings the number of remaining hostages to 56. The Israeli government has said that 23 are believed to be still alive. 'We will continue to do everything in our power to bring our sisters and brothers back from hell,' Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement. 'The living, for healing and rehabilitation, and the fallen, to be laid to rest in dignity. Every last one of them.' Advertisement The Hostages Families Forum, an Israeli group representing relatives of those taken, urged Israeli officials to immediately negotiate an end to the war to bring other captives back. 'Decision-makers must do everything necessary to reach an agreement that will return all 56 remaining hostages,' the group said in a statement. 'This is what the majority of the Israeli people want,' it added. The Trump administration welcomed the recovery of the bodies. Adam Boehler, President Trump's special envoy for hostage affairs, wrote on social media: 'We must not rest until all those murdered and held by Hamas, especially Americans Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, are returned to their families.' A cease-fire is seen as necessary to bringing the remaining hostages home. The Trump administration and other mediators have tried to broker a new pause in fighting after Israel ended the last truce in March. Under the latest US proposal, Israel and Hamas would stop fighting for 60 days and some hostages would be exchanged in return for Palestinians jailed by Israel. The United States said it would also back further negotiations on a permanent end to the war. Israel wants a temporary deal so it can eventually turn back to trying to defeat Hamas. But Hamas wants stronger guarantees that the cease-fire will lead to a permanent deal and has said it is willing to free the Israeli and foreign captives in Gaza as part of a broader agreement. The United States denounced Hamas's response to the latest proposal as 'unacceptable,' saying it 'only takes us backward.' A survey published in April by the Israeli Democracy Institute showed that more than 68 percent of Israelis believed that freeing the hostages was more important than removing Hamas from power. Advertisement Israel has continued its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy the militant group. More than 54,000 people have been killed in the enclave in the military campaign following Oct. 7, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Hunger is now widespread after Israel imposed a roughly 80-day aid blockade that was lifted in mid-May. But supplies are still meager, and the start of a new Israeli-backed aid distribution system has been marred by chaos, with Palestinians who were trying to obtain food supplies having been killed in recent days. This article originally appeared in
3 days ago
- Politics
Israel recovers bodies of Canadian Israeli Judih Weinstein Haggai and husband held by Hamas
Israel's military recovered the bodies of two hostages, Canadian Israeli Judih Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Israeli American Gadi Haggai, who were held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. The Israeli army said in a statement that the bodies of the husband and wife were recovered in a special operation from the Khan Younis area in the Gaza Strip. 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, Netanyahu said in a statement. Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein Haggai, 70, and Haggai, 72, both of whom had Israeli and U.S. citizenship, in December 2023. The Israeli military said they were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and taken into Gaza by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that it said had also abducted and killed Shiri Bibas and her two small children. Weinstein Haggai grew up in Canada and held Canadian and U.S. citizenship. She was born in New York state but moved to Toronto at the age of three, and then moved to Israel 20 years later to live with Haggai. She was a mother of four and a grandmother of seven. 56 hostages still held by Hamas An Israeli group formed after Oct. 7, the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters, expressed gratitude for the development in a statement. The return is painful and heartbreaking, yet it also brings healing to our uncertainty, the statement read. "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. WATCH l Weinstein Haggai's niece spoke to CBC News in 2023 about her aunt's strength, character: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? 'Sleepless nights' for family of Canadian missing since Oct. 7 Hamas attacks Ali Weinstein, who spoke about her aunt Judih Weinstein Haggai in an exclusive interview with CBC's Heather Hiscox, says her family has 'no information' about their beloved relative — who is believed to be among those being held in Gaza. Weinstein Haggai was among several Canadian citizens (new window) killed in the Oct. 7 attacks. Israel believes there are still 56 hostages held by Hamas, with fewer than half believed to be alive. The hostages' forum group cited that number in its statement, calling on the warring sides to facilitate their return. There is no need to wait another 608 agonizing days for this. The mission can be completed as early as tomorrow morning, the group said. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say. Thomson Reuters with files from CBC News and The Associated Press
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Israel recovers bodies of Canadian Israeli Judih Weinstein-Haggai and husband held by Hamas
Israel's military recovered the bodies of two hostages, Canadian Israeli Judih Weinstein-Haggai and her husband, Israeli American Gadi Haggai, who were held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. The Israeli army said in a statement that the bodies of the husband and wife were recovered in a special operation from Khan Younis area in the Gaza Strip. "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," Netanyahu said in a statement. Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein-Haggai, 70, and Haggai, 72, both of whom had Israeli and U.S. citizenship, in December 2023. The Israeli military said they were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and taken into Gaza by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that it said had also abducted and killed Shiri Bibas and her two small children. Weinstein-Haggai grew up in Canada and held Canadian and U.S. citizenship. She was born in New York state but moved to Toronto at the age of three, and then moved to Israel 20 years later to live with Haggai. She was a mother of four and a grandmother of seven. Following the recovery of two bodies, 56 hostages are still held by Hamas, with fewer than half believed to be alive, according to Israeli estimates. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say.
