Israeli military recovers bodies of two Israeli-American hostages killed in Gaza; 56 hostages remain, calls grow for ceasefire deal.

Israeli military forces have recovered the bodies of two Israeli-American citizens who were taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

According to an official statement, Judi Weinstein Haggai, 70 — who also held Canadian citizenship — and her husband, Gadi Haggai, 72, were murdered by gunmen from the Mujahideen Brigades group during an assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz. Their bodies were located overnight in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis and have been transported back to Israel for forensic identification.

At present, 56 hostages remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza. Of those, at least 20 are believed to still be alive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended condolences to the families of Judi and Gadi Haggai, stating, “Our hearts grieve over this terrible loss. May their memories be blessed. I would like to thank and express appreciation to the fighters and commanders for this determined and successful operation. We will not rest, nor will we be silent, until we return home all of our hostages — the living and the deceased.”

The couple’s family shared that they had gone out for a walk on the morning of “that cursed Saturday” and never returned. In their statement, the family expressed a sense of closure and gratitude that Judi and Gadi could now receive a proper burial in Israel.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum responded by urging Israeli leaders to take immediate steps toward securing a ceasefire agreement with Hamas to enable the release of the remaining hostages. “There is no need to wait another 608 agonising days for this,” the Forum stated. “The mission can be completed as early as tomorrow morning. This is what the majority of the Israeli people want.”

The ongoing conflict began nearly 20 months ago when Hamas launched a deadly cross-border attack, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. In response, Israel initiated a sustained military campaign in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory, at least 54,607 people have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli offensive.