Israel recovers bodies of two hostages killed by Hamas on 7 October

The remains of Judith Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the army and the Shin Bet internal security agency, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.

Israel has recovered the bodies of two hostages killed and taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023, officials said Thursday.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of Judith Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the Israel Defence Forces 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.Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72, in December 2023. The military said they were killed in the 7 October attack and that their bodies were recently recovered from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.The couple were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of 7 October when Hamas militants stormed across the border and rampaged through several army bases and farming communities.In the early hours of the morning, Weinstein was able to call emergency services — letting them know that both she and her husband had been shot — and send a message to her family.The couple were survived by two sons, two daughters and seven grandchildren, the kibbutz said.The Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Hamas took 251 people as hostages, and is currently holding 56 of them, a third of whom are believed to be alive. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies.A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry whose figures do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. The Israeli military says it has killed some 20,000 Hamas combatants, while also reporting around 3,000 dead and wounded among its soldiers.