IDF recovers bodies of hostages Judith and Gadi Haggai from Gaza

In a solemn and heroic operation, the Israel Defense Forces successfully retrieved the bodies of hostages Judith Weinstein Haggai and her husband Gadi Haggai from Khan Yunis in Gaza. The couple, both dual Israeli-American citizens, were murdered by terrorists from the Mujahideen Brigades during the Hamas-led October 7 massacre in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Their remains were recovered in the early hours of Thursday in a special forces operation executed under the IDF Southern Command. The mission, coordinated with the Shin Bet, was enabled by crucial intelligence extracted from the interrogation of a captured terrorist. After being returned to Israeli soil, the bodies were formally identified at the National Center of Forensic Medicine in collaboration with the Israel Police.

The tragic deaths of Judith, 70, and Gadi, 72, had been officially confirmed in December 2023. They left behind a devastated family four children and seven grandchildren and a grieving kibbutz community that described them as symbols of peace, creativity, and compassion.

Judith, an English teacher and mindfulness practitioner, worked with children with anxiety and special needs. She was also a poet and an entrepreneur devoted to building bridges between communities. Gadi was remembered as a brilliant musician from childhood, a chef, and an advocate for healthy living.

“We welcome the closure that we have been granted and the return for burial of our loved ones,” the Haggai family said. “But our hearts will not be whole until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz and all 56 hostages in total are brought back.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum echoed this sentiment, stressing that the return of the deceased for burial is not a privilege but a fundamental human right. “A grave is a basic human right, without which personal and national recovery is impossible,” they declared, urging decision-makers to act swiftly to secure the return of every last hostage.

This operation underscores Israel’s unshakable moral commitment: no citizen is forgotten, and no sacrifice is too great when it comes to bringing our people home. The mission is not over until every soul, living or fallen, is accounted for.

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