Hard-hit kibbutz announces death of American hostage

TEL AVIV, Israel — A hard-hit Israeli kibbutz on Thursday announced the death of Judith Weinstein — an American-Canadian-Israeli woman who had been thought to be held hostage in Gaza.

The news came six days after Weinstein’s husband, Gad Haggai, was also pronounced dead.

Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 73, were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists burst across the border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping 240 others.

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.

Weinstein and her husband had been thought to be among the hostages still held in captivity in Gaza. But six days ago, the kibbutz announced that Haggai was killed Oct. 7 and his body was taken to Gaza.

On Thursday, the kibbutz said it had learned that Weinstein was also killed on Oct. 7 and her body is also being held in Gaza.

It was not immediately clear how Israeli authorities determined their deaths.

The couple are survived by two sons and two daughters and seven grandchildren, the kibbut said.

President Joe Biden said he was “devastated” to learn of Weinstein’s death, especially after hearing about the couple during a meeting with their daughter.

The families “have been living through hell for weeks. No family should have to endure such an ordeal,” he said in a statement.

Weinstein was born in New York and was an active member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small community near the Gaza border where she taught English to children with special needs.

The kibbutz said she also taught meditation techniques to children and teenagers who suffered from anxiety as a result of rocket fire from Gaza.

Haggai was a retired chef and jazz musician.

“Judy dedicated her life to serving others, spending years teaching English and using her passions for poetry, puppeteering, and mindfulness to empower children of all backgrounds,” her family said in a statement.

Al Haggai, one of the couple’s sons, told Israel’s Channel 13 that the family had originally hoped their mother’s multiple citizenships would allow her to be released during the weeklong cease-fire in late November, when 105 hostages were let go. Almost all were women and children.

He said that when his mother’s name was not on any of the daily lists, he started to suspect that something happened to her.

According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, at least 23 of the approximately 129 hostages believed to be held in Gaza have either died or been killed in captivity.

Nir Oz was one of the hardest-hit Israeli communities on Oct. 7, with roughly one-quarter of its residents killed or kidnapped.

The families of missing hostages have drawn widespread support and sympathy in Israel as they press the government to reach a new cease-fire deal to bring home their loved-ones.

Netanyahu met Thursday in Tel Aviv with some of the families, where he told them there were behind-the-scene efforts to bring the hostages home, according to a statement from his office.

“I can’t elaborate on the details, we are working to return everyone,” he said.

Israel widens offensive

Israeli forces bombarded cities, towns and refugee camps across Gaza on Thursday in a widening air and ground offensive against Hamas terrorists.

Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas and bring back more than 100 hostages still held by the terrorists. Israeli officials have brushed off international calls for a cease-fire, saying it would amount to a victory for Hamas.

The United States — while providing crucial support for the offensive — has urged Israel to take greater measures to spare civilians and allow in more aid. But humanitarian workers say the amount of food, fuel and medical supplies entering is still far below what is needed, and 1 in 4 Palestinians in Gaza is starving, according to U.N. officials.

Israel said this week it would expand its ground offensive into central Gaza. The Israeli military typically launches waves of airstrikes and shelling before troops and tanks move in.

More than 21,300 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The Israeli military blames the high civilian death toll on Hamas, which positions fighters, tunnels and rocket launchers in dense residential areas.

The military says it has killed thousands of terrorists and that 167 of its soldiers have been killed and hundreds wounded in the ground offensive.

Operation in West Bank

Meanwhile, Israeli forces carried out an operation Thursday across multiple areas of the West Bank and arrested 21 Palestinians alleged to have helped finance Hamas terrorists.

In a statement Thursday, the military alleged the suspects were financial services providers who funded Hamas terrorists through digital currency and cash. Israeli media said those arrested worked as foreign exchange brokers.

The military said it confiscated tens of millions in Israeli currency as well as safes, documents and cellphones. Video released by the military showed troops raiding establishments overnight, at one point drilling through a wall that appeared to have been stuffed with cash.

During the operation, the military says its aircraft struck terrorists in Jenin who fired on troops. Forces also opened fire on Palestinians whom the military said were throwing firebombs at troops in numerous areas across the West Bank.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said a Palestinian man was killed by Israeli forces in the central city of Ramallah. It did not disclose the circumstances.

Magdy reported from Cairo, Jeffery from London. Associated Press reporters Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Najib Jobain in Rafah, Gaza Strip, contributed.