NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Israel on Thursday recovered the bodies of two hostages who were abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre that ignited the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X that the remains of Gadi Haggai and Judy Weinstein-Haggai had been returned in a special operation by the army and the Shin Bet internal security agency.
“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.
TRUMP ADMIN STANDS BY ISRAEL, REJECTS UN RESOLUTION BACKED BY UK, FRANCE
Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein and Haggai, both in their early 70s, in December 2023.
The couple were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Oct. 7 when Hamas militants burst across the border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251.
Gad Haggai and Judy Weinstein were killed in the attacks on Oct. 7, and Hamas is holding their bodies hostage. (Hostage Family Forum)
In the early hours of the morning, Weinstein was able to call emergency services and let them know that both she and her husband had been shot and send a message to her family.
7 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE ISRAELI MILITARY’S REPORT ON WHAT HAPPENED ON OCT. 7
The couple were survived by two sons and two daughters and seven grandchildren, the kibbutz said.
Left: Israeli military vehicles in Gaza Right: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Reuters)
The rescue operation was conducted by IDF troops in coordination with the Intelligence Directorate and special forces. The operation was made possible as a result of precise intelligence provided by the Hostage Task Force, the Intelligence Directorate, and the ISA.
HAMAS VICTIMS ARIEL AND KFIR BIBAS COULD’VE BEEN ME, OR MAYBE YOU
Following an identification procedure carried out by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Israel Police, and the IDF Manpower Directorate’s Hostage Task Force, the family and the community of Nir Oz were notified.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called the couples’ return “pain and heartbreaking.”
People light candles beneath a wall showing posters identifying hostages abducted by Palestinian militants during the October 7 attack and currently held in the Gaza Strip, at a vigil demanding government action for their return outside the Israeli parliament (Knesset) in Jerualem on November 7, 2023. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)
“[Y]et it also brings healing to our uncertainty. 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,” the Forum said.
We want to emphasize today—a grave is not a privilege. A grave is a basic human right, without which personal and national recovery is impossible.”
The Forum called upon leaders on both sides to reach an agreement to bring all 56 remaining hostages – “the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for burial.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“There is no need to wait another 608 agonizing days for this. The mission can be completed as early as tomorrow morning. This is what the majority of the Israeli people want,” the Forum said. “We want to emphasize today—a grave is not a privilege. A grave is a basic human right, without which personal and national recovery is impossible.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.
