US President Joe Biden on Thursday (local time) said that Israeli-American citizen Judith Weinstein, who was believed to have been kidnapped by Hamas, has now been confirmed killed in the militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7. The US President offered his condolences and said that her husband is also believed to have been killed by Hamas.

“Jill and I are devastated to learn that Judy Weinstein, an American citizen, is believed to have been killed by Hamas on October 7. This cuts deep following the news that Gad Haggai, Judy’s husband, is also believed to have been killed by Hamas,” he said in a statement, adding that he spoke to her daughter earlier this month and will “never forget the words she shared” with him.

“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,” said Biden. 

Haggai and Weinstein, both dual Israeli-American citizens, were on their morning walk when gunfire erupted and missiles were launched across the sky on October 7, according to The Times of Israel. She recorded a video of Hamas fighters invading the Nir Oz in their last contact with their family.

Who was Judy Weinstein?

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that her country also mourned the loss of Weinstein. “I have met with her family and they have described her as loving, kind, and compassionate. Canada mourns her loss with her family and loved ones,” she said.

The 70-year-old Judith Weinstein and her husband had lived for a long time in Kibbutz Nir Oz. An English teacher working for children with special needs, Weinstein has four kids and four grandchildren, and is also survived by her 95-year-old mother.

“She was a poet and an entrepreneur who loved to create and was dedicated to working for peace and friendship,” the kibbutz said in a statement. Weinstein and her husband are among eight US citizens still in Gaza.

After Gad was confirmed dead last week, Biden issued a statement saying he was “heartbroken by the news,” and that he was praying “for the well-being and safe return of his wife, Judy.”

Israel-Hamas war

Hamas attacked the kibbutz, border towns and a music festival in Israel on October 7 in a rampage that left 1,200 dead, with 240 people taken to Gaza as hostages. Out of the hostages, 110 were freed by Hamas during a week-long truce in late November, and 129 captives still remain in the besieged Gaza Strip.

A fierce Israeli retaliation for the Hamas attack has killed over 21,000 Palestinians in Gaza, displacing most of the 2.3 million population of the enclave and flattening almost the entire northern part of the territory. Additionally, more than 55,000 others have been wounded in the attack, according to the Gaza health ministry. The rising death toll has sparked international alarm, with many countries calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Israeli forces continued to bomb cities, towns and refugee camps across Gaza on Thursday, killing dozens of people in a widening air and ground offensive against Hamas. Israeli officials have brushed off international calls for a cease-fire, saying it would amount to a victory for Hamas.

(with inputs from agencies)

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