After Hamas refused to entertain discussions of a second pause in hostilities to facilitate the release of additional hostages it took during its October 7 invasion and massacre, it has been confirmed that an American citizen in Hamas captivity is dead.
73-year-old Gadi Haggai and his 70-year-old wife Judi Weinstein were in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 when Iran-backed Hamas terrorists launched their barbaric attacks. Haggai was reportedly shot and killed during the attack, and both were dragged back to Gaza and held in Hamas captivity.
Fox News reports that 73-year-old Gadi Haggai, an Israeli-American held hostage by Hamas, is dead in captivity after being murdered by Hamas barbarians on October 7. pic.twitter.com/5oyqXlxbgT
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) December 22, 2023
Weinstein, who managed to maintain possession of her cell phone during the attack desperately called for help and reached out to family members. Attempts to dispatch first responders to assist amid the chaos of the terrorist attacks ended when an ambulance dispatched in response to Weinstein's pleas ended when it was struck by a Hamas rocket.
More via the Times of Israel:
Haggai and Weinstein, a US national, were on their morning walk when gunfire erupted and missiles streaked across the sky on October 7.
Taking cover in a field, they could hear a recorded voice from an alert system for their kibbutz in southern Israel.
“What did she say?” Weinstein asked in Hebrew as she captured the scene on video.
“Red alert,” her 72-year-old husband said, referring to the warning for incoming rocket fire.
Weinstein shared the 40-second video clip in a group chat on October 7, when Hamas invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz during its terror onslaught, in the couple’s last contact with their family.
A paramedic later told the pair’s children that Weinstein had called for medical help but that they had lost contact with her.
“She said they were shot by terrorists on a motorcycle and that my dad was wounded really bad,” said Iris Weinstein Haggai.
“Paramedics tried to send her an ambulance. The ambulance got hit by a rocket,” said Weinstein Haggai.
Haggai is described as "a man full of humor who knew how to make those around him laugh" and a "musician at heart, a gifted flautist" who "played in the IDF orchestra and was involved with music his whole life."
Hamas has not released Haggai's body and Weinstein remains a hostage and is believed to have been wounded in the Hamas attack. According to reports, Haggai leaves behind four children and seven grandchildren.