•PM Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages, Judy Weinstein-Hagi and Gadi Hagi, have been recovered from Gaza and returned to Israel.
The couple, aged 70 and 72 respectively, were residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz, located near the Gaza border, reports ABC News.
Both held dual US-Israeli citizenship, and Judy Weinstein-Hagi was also a Canadian citizen.
According to a statement from Netanyahu, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in coordination with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), carried out a special operation in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza that led to the recovery of the bodies.
Netanyahu stated the couple had been killed during Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023.
Their bodies were subsequently abducted by Hamas militants.
The IDF had previously concluded that Judy and Gadi were killed on the day of the attack by Kitab al-Mujahidin, the same Hamas-aligned faction responsible for the deaths of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young children.
“We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our abductees home — the living and the dead alike,” Netanyahu declared.
As of now, 56 hostages remain in Gaza.
The prime minister’s office reports that 20 are believed to be alive. Among the 36 believed to be deceased are two American citizens: Itay Chen and Omer Neutra.
