Bodies of Israeli-American hostage couple found in Gaza

The Israeli military retrieved from southern Gaza the bodies of Israeli-Americans Judith Weinstein Haggai and Gadi Haggai on Thursday. The Israel Defense Forces found the bodies during a special operation in the Khan Yunis area, it said. The husband and wife were murdered on Oct. 7, 2023, during a terrorist attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, and their bodies were taken into Gaza, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel’s National Center of Forensic Medicine verified the identities of the remains, according to The Jerusalem Post. Fifty-six hostages are still being held in Gaza, according to the Israeli military. Most of them are believed dead.

Who murdered the couple? The Mujahideen Brigades, rather than Hamas, killed the Haggais and kept their bodies, according to The Jerusalem Post. The Palestinian militant organization joined Hamas in the Oct. 7 terror attack. It operates in both Gaza and the West Bank, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations.

What is happening internationally to bring about a Gaza ceasefire? The United States on Wednesday provided the lone vote to block a draft resolution of the UN Security Council that would have called for an immediate, permanent ceasefire. The draft also would have advocated for the release of all hostages and no restrictions on aid flowing into Gaza. However, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea said the draft would have rewarded Hamas’ failure to negotiate and that it inappropriately gave Hamas terrorists the same standing as Israel.

Amnesty International urged the United States to support the measure in order to ease catastrophic conditions faced by more than 2 million Palestinian people.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the release of U.S.-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.