The Israeli army says that the Israeli forces recovered the bodies of two Israeli Americans to Gaza as hostages during the Hamas -led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
A statement said that Judy Winstein Hagai, 70, who was also a Canadian citizen and her husband Jadi Hagai, 72, was killed by armed men from the Mujahideen Brigades group when they attacked Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Their bodies were found in the southern Khan Yunis area in Gaza overnight and returned to Israel to determine the criminal identity.
There are now 56 hostages by Hamas in Gaza, and it is believed that at least 20 of them are alive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he and his wife sent their condolences to the families of Judy and Jadi Hagai.
“Our hearts are sad for this terrible loss. They may bless their memories,” he added.
“I would like to thank, and express his appreciation to the fighters and leaders for this specific and successful operation. We will not rest, and we will not be silent, until we return to the house all our hostages – the neighborhoods and the deceased.”
The couple’s families remembered how “they went out on a picnic on Saturday morning and never returned.”
“We welcome the closure and their return to a suitable burial at home, in Israel,” a statement said.
The hostage and missing families forum called on decision makers to do everything in their power to agree on the new ceasefire deal with Hamas to secure the return of all the remaining hostages.
“There is no need to wait for 608 painful days for this,” said a statement. “The task can be completed early in the morning. This is what the majority of the Israeli people want.”
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the unprecedented cross -border attack nearly 20 months ago, as about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken into account.
At least 54,607 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health in the region.
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