IDF Rescues Bodies of Murdered Hostages Gadi Hagai and Judy Weinstein from Gaza

Kibbutz Nir Oz announced that the bodies of Gadi Hagai, 72, and his wife Judy Weinstein Hagai, 70 – HY”D who held American citizenship, were recovered from the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Thursday morning. The couple was brutally murdered by evil Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, and their bodies were abducted to Gaza.

The recovery was carried out in a special forces operation, performed in collaboration with intelligence from the Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) which involved both tanks and helicopters. The information that enabled their retrieval into Israeli territory was obtained during the interrogation of a captured Hamas terrorist.

The couple left behind four children and seven grandchildren.

Currently, 56 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, with at least 20 believed to be alive.

During the opening ceremony of Assuta Hospital in Beersheba, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the recovery of Gadi Hagai and Judy Weinstein Hagai’s bodies, stating, “We bow our heads in their memory and extend condolences to their families. Since the war began, we have brought back 199 hostages, including 48 through special operations. We are determined to return all of them, without exception—both the living and the deceased—and to defeat our enemies.”