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Female hostage of US, Canadian and Israeli nationality in Gaza announced dead

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“The body of the hostage was not transported alive, but was murdered on October 7th.”
Weinstein (70), from New York, died of gunshot wounds along with her husband.

Judith Weinstein (70), a woman in her 70s with American-Canadian-Israeli nationality, was taken to the Gaza Strip with her husband when an Israeli kibbutz (collective farm) was hit during Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7. The death of was announced on the 28th (local time).

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This news comes six days after the death of her husband, Gad Hagai (73), was announced last week.

This couple, in their 70s, was taken hostage by Hamas troops on October 7th during a morning walk near their home, Kibbutz Nir Oz, and taken to the Gaza Strip. Hamas launched a surprise attack across the Israeli border at the time, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostage.

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Early that morning, Weinstein managed to call the emergency center and report that both she and her husband had suffered gunshot wounds, and also told their families.

It has been known that Weinstein and her husband are among the hostages still being held in Gaza. But six days ago the kibbutz announced that Hagai had been killed on October 7 and that his body had been taken to Gaza.

On the 28th, an official from Lee Gibuch announced that Weinstein, his wife, was also murdered on October 7 and that her body was in the Gaza Strip along with her husband.

It is not yet clear how Israeli authorities confirmed and determined their deaths.

Kibbutz authorities said the survivors included two sons, two daughters and seven grandchildren.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was deeply shocked by the news of the couple’s death and said, “The family has been going through hell for weeks. “No family should have to go through such an ordeal,” he said in a statement.

Weinstein was born in New York and enthusiastically participated in the construction of the Nir Oz Kibbutz near the Gaza border, teaching children English in particular. He even taught meditation techniques to children and teenagers in the kibbutz to help them cope with the suffering caused by rocket fire from Gaza. Her husband, Hagai, was a retired chef and jazz musician.

Her family said of her, “She spent her life serving others, teaching English and meditation to children for many years. “She was also passionately active as a poet,” she said.

When the battle between Israel and Hamas briefly intensified last May, he posted a video on YouTube presenting poetry pieces expressing hope for better days to come.

The son, al-Hagai, told Israel’s Channel 13 television that the family knew his mother, who had multiple nationalities, would be freed when 105 hostages were released at the end of November. At that time, almost all of those released were women and children.

He said he began to worry that something was up when he saw that his mother’s name was not on the list of those released.

According to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office, of the approximately 129 hostages taken to the Gaza Strip, at least 23 are known to have died or been murdered while in captivity.

Nir Oz was the hardest hit by Hamas raids, with about a quarter of its residents killed or kidnapped.

The Prime Minister’s Office announced that Prime Minister Netanyahu met with some of the hostage families in Tel Aviv on the 28th and said, “The government has been making invisible, behind-the-scenes efforts to bring them back.”

“I can’t give details, but we are doing our best to get all the hostages back,” Netanyahu said.

Israel-Palestine War

[텔아비브( 이스라엘)= AP/뉴시스]

Source: Donga

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