Bodies of Israeli-American Couple Recovered in Gaza

Israeli forces have recovered the bodies of an American-Israeli couple who were killed during the Hamas-led raid of Israel in 2023, reports the BBC. Judy Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai, both in their early 70s, were out for a walk when militants stormed the Nir Oz kibbutz near the Gaza border. The Israeli military says they were killed that day, not by Hamas but by a small militant group called the Mujahideen Brigades, and their bodies were taken into Gaza, per the Washington Post.

"My beautiful parents have been freed. We have certainty," daughter Iris Weinstein Haggai wrote on Instagram on Thursday. Judy Weinstein Haggai, who was also a Canadian citizen, was an English teacher who worked with children with special needs. Her husband was a chef and musician. The Israeli military recovered their bodies in a special operation, but few details were made available. Hamas or other groups took 251 hostages during the raid. Of them, 55 are still held, but at least 32 of them are believed to be dead.