BY ALEX GANGITANO
The family of Judy Weinstein Haggai announced Thursday that she was killed by Hamas after being taken by the militant group in its initial attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
“We are heartbroken by the murder of our mother and grandmother Judy Weinstein Haggai, an American-Israeli-Canadian citizen. Judy was a mother of four, a grandmother of seven, and an active community member of Kibbutz Nir Oz,” the family said in a statement.
President Biden in a statement said he is “devastated” to learn that she is believed to be killed by Hamas.
Her husband, Gad Haggai, is believed to have been killed by Hamas on Oct. 7. Biden and first lady Jill Biden mourned his death in a statement last week.
“This tragic development cuts deep, coming on the heels of last week’s news that Judith’s beloved husband, Gad Haggai, is believed to have been killed by Hamas,” Biden said on Thursday.
He added that he previously spoke with their daughter, who shared with him that “they have been living through hell for weeks.”
“No family should have to endure such an ordeal. And I reaffirm the pledge we have made to all the families of those still held hostage: we will not stop working to bring them home,” he said.
The family on Thursday said neither her nor her husband’s bodies had been returned to them and prayed that they would be.
Kibbutz Nir Oz also announced Haggai’s death, saying that she was a 70-year-old mother of four and grandmother of seven. She was an English teacher and specialized in teaching children with anxiety, according to the statement.
The Biden administration has stressed its focus on the release of women and children from Hamas. Four American hostages have been released so far. Biden earlier this month met with family members of American hostages.
Weinstein and Haggai’s fate had been unknown since the pair was on their morning walk when gunfire erupted on Oct. 7, according to The Associated Press. On that day, Hamas took more than 240 hostages and killed roughly 1,200 Israelis.
