2 days Ago
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent condolences to the families, saying, “Our hearts are with the bereaved families in this most terrible tragedy. May their memory be blessed.” The couple, who were residents of the Kibbutz Nir Oz near the Gaza border, were declared dead by their community in December 2023.
Who were Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai?
Weinstein and Haggai were dual Israeli and American citizens. On a morning in early October, they were outside walking near their home when the militants swept across the border. Weinstein, a New York native who was an English teacher for children with special needs and a meditation teacher for young people with rocket attacks as well. Haggai was a former chef and jazz musician.
Weinstein had managed to call emergency services before losing contact, telling them that she and her husband had been shot, it says. Their daughter, Iris Haggai Liniado, announced the recovery on social media and thanked Israeli and U.S. authorities. The couple is survived by four children and seven grandchildren.
Continued conflict and stalled cease-fire talks
The military said Weinstein and Haggai were seized and shot dead by the Mujahideen Brigades, a group that abducted and killed Shiri Bibas and her two children. Gaza Hostages 56 Hostages in Gaza As of now, 56 hostages in Gaza are still held. Many others have been discovered dead or returned in ceasefire arrangements, while eight have been rescued alive. The October 7 attack killed about 1,200 people, mainly civilians, with 251 held hostage.
In retaliation, Israel stated a military offensive that has taken the lives of more than 54,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children, the Gaza Health Ministry reported. The war has resulted in about 90 percent of Gaza’s population of two million being driven from their homes and widespread destruction.
Attempts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to broker a new cease-fire have gone nowhere. Hamas has insisted on a long-term ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal and the release of Palestinian prisoners in return for the freeing of the remaining hostages. Israel, however, is demanding only temporary lulls to try to bring about hostage releases and has vowed to defeat Hamas.
Netanyahu has also suggested that Israel should retain control of Gaza in the long term and that the population there might be willing to move voluntarily – a position that has been rejected by Palestinians and many others internationally.
