Second American Hostage Confirmed Dead One Week After Her Husband Died In Hamas Captivity

Judi Weinstein Haggai, a 70-year-old Israeli American woman, became the second confirmed American taken hostage by Hamas to die during the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. Haggai’s husband Gadi, 73, was the first American to be reported dead in Hamas captivity last week. 

Judi and Gadi were on a walk the morning Hamas launched its attack against Israel on October 7, and the couple was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz after they were shot by the terrorists. On Thursday, the couple’s community announced that Judi was murdered during Hamas’ attack and her body is being held in Gaza by the terrorists, the Times of Israel reported. The announcement from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Thursday was the first report of Judi’s death, which came just days after the community announced that her husband died in Hamas captivity.

“She was a poet and an entrepreneur who loved to create and was dedicated to working for peace and friendship,” Kibbutz Nir Oz said in a statement. 

The husband and wife, who moved to Israel from the U.S. around 30 years ago, are survived by their children, who live in Colorado, Singapore, and Israel, according to Fox News. Judi and Gadi had four children and seven grandchildren, and Judi was an English teacher who focused on children with special needs, according to the Times of Israel. Judi also used meditation techniques to treat children suffering from anxiety due to years of rocket fire near the Gaza border.

Judi and Gadi attempted to take cover in a field on the day of the attack. Judi contacted a member of the kibbutz and said she and her husband were shot – her in the arm and Gadi in the head – and that they needed help. An ambulance that attempted to reach the pair was attacked and never made it. The couple had not been seen since and were presumed to be captive in Gaza, according to the New York Post.

Six other Americans are believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas and are still in Gaza. Omer Neutra, 21; Itay Chen, 19; Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35; Edan Alexander, 19; Hersh Goldberg Polin, and Keith Samuel Siegel all remain in Hamas captivity as Israel continues its operation in Gaza, attempting to root out the terrorist group.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this week that he attempted to give the Red Cross medicine to take to the hostages still trapped in Gaza, but a representative for the Red Cross refused. 

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“I met with the Red Cross; I handed them a box of medicine for some of the hostages shown here. Some of them really need it,” Netanyahu said. “I told a representative to take this box to Rafah; she said no. It was a difficult conversation.”

“We are sparing no effort, both seen and hidden, to bring all of the hostages home,” he added. “I just returned from Gaza; I met a division of reservists on the field. All of them asked me for one thing only: We must not stop; we must keep going until the end.”

Tim Pearce contributed to this report.