IDF retrieves bodies of hostages Judith Weinstein Haggai, husband Gadi Haggai from Khan Yunis
The two were kidnapped on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
The bodies of hostages Judith Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai, were retrieved by the IDF overnight on Thursday in a special forces operation performed in collaboration with intelligence from the Shin Bet and the IDF.
The Mujahideen Brigades kidnapped and held the bodies of the two in Gaza after they were murdered on October 7 in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Their deaths were determined in December 2023.
IDF forces carried out the rescue operation under the Southern Command.
After an identification process at the National Center of Forensic Medicine, together with the Israel Police, the Hostage and Missing Persons Team in the IDF's Personnel Directorate notified the family and the Nir Oz community.
Weinstein and Haggai both held American citizenship, and Haggai additionally held Canadian citizenship.
They left behind four children and seven grandchildren.
'We welcome the closure that we have been granted and the return for burial of our loved ones, who went out for a walk on that Black Sabbath morning and never came back," Nir Oz said in a statement.
Nir Oz thanked the IDF and security forces who carried out the complex rescue operation. They also thanked "everyone who supported, struggled, prayed, and fought for us and for all of Israel," as well as the FBI, and the US and Israeli governments.
"However, our hearts will not be whole until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz and all 56 hostages in total are brought back," the statement concluded.
This is a developing story.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Investors brace for oil price spike, rush to safe havens after US bombs Iran nuclear sites
A US attack on Iranian nuclear sites could push oil prices even higher and trigger a knee-jerk rush to safety, investors said, as they assessed how the latest escalation of tensions would ripple through the global economy. The reaction in Middle East stock markets, which trade on Sunday, suggested investors were assuming a benign outcome, even as Iran intensified its missile attacks on Israel in response to the sudden, deep U.S. involvement in the conflict. President Trump called the attack 'a spectacular military success' in a televised address to the nation and said Iran's 'key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.' He said the U.S. military could go after other targets in Iran if the country did not agree to peace. Advertisement Iran said it reserves all options to defend itself, and warned of 'everlasting consequences.' Speaking in Istanbul, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran was weighing its options for retaliation and would consider diplomacy only after carrying out its response. 7 President Trump called the attack 'a spectacular military success.' REUTERS Investors said they expected US involvement would cause a stock market selloff and a possible bid for the dollar and other safe-haven assets when major markets reopen, but also said much uncertainty remained. Advertisement 'I think the markets are going to be initially alarmed, and I think oil will open higher,' said Mark Spindel, chief investment officer at Potomac River Capital. 'I think the uncertainty is going to blanket the markets, as now Americans everywhere are going to be exposed. It's going to raise uncertainty and volatility, particularly in oil,' he added. One indicator of how markets will react in the coming week was the price of ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency and a gauge of retail investor sentiment. Advertisement 'We don't have any damage assessment and that will take some time. Even though (Trump) has described this as 'done', we're engaged,' Spindel said. Ether was down 8.5% on Sunday, taking losses since the first Israeli strikes on Iran on June 13 to 13%. 7 Iran has warned of 'everlasting consequences' over the U.S. attack. via REUTERS Most Gulf stock markets, however, seemed unconcerned by the early morning attacks, with the main indexes in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait up slightly or flat. Israel's Tel Aviv main index was at an all-time high. Advertisement A key concern for markets centers around the potential impact of Middle East developments on oil prices and thus on inflation. Rising inflation could dampen consumer confidence and lessen the chance of near-term interest rate cuts. Saul Kavonic, a senior energy analyst at equity research firm MST Marquee in Sydney, said Iran could respond by targeting American interests in the Middle East, including Gulf oil infrastructure in places such as Iraq or harassing ship passages through the Strait of Hormuz. 7 Traders are bracing for a rocky day on Wall Street when markets open Monday. AFP via Getty Images The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran and is the primary export route for oil producers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait. 'Much depends on how Iran responds in the coming hours and days, but this could set us on a path towards $100 oil if Iran respond as they have previously threatened to,' Kavonic said. While global benchmark Brent crude futures have risen as much as 18% since June 10, hitting a near five-month high of $79.04 on Thursday, the S&P 500 has been little changed, following an initial drop when Israel launched its attacks on Iran on June 13. 7 Brent crude futures have risen as much as 18% since June 10, Getty Images Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group, said oil prices would likely spike before leveling off in a few days as the attacks could lead Iran to seek a peace deal with Israel and the U.S. Advertisement 'With this demonstration of force and total annihilation of its nuclear capabilities, they've lost all of their leverage and will likely hit the escape button to a peace deal,' Cox said. Economists warn that a dramatic rise in oil prices could damage a global economy already strained by Trump's tariffs. 7 During past Mideast, stocks initially languished but soon recovered to trade higher in the months ahead. AFP via Getty Images Still, any pullback in equities might be fleeting, history suggests. During past eruptions of Middle East tensions, including the 2003 Iraq invasion and the 2019 attacks on Saudi oil facilities, stocks initially languished but soon recovered to trade higher in the months ahead. Advertisement On average, the S&P 500 slipped 0.3% in the three weeks following the start of conflict, but was 2.3% higher on average two months following the conflict, according to data from Wedbush Securities and CapIQ Pro. An escalation in the conflict could have mixed implications for the U.S. dollar, which has tumbled this year amid worries over diminished U.S. exceptionalism. 7 Analysts say the dollar could benefit from a safety bid in the event of direct US engagement in the Iran-Israel war. AFP via Getty Images In the event of U.S. direct engagement in the Iran-Israel war, the dollar could initially benefit from a safety bid, analysts said. Advertisement 'Do we see a flight to safety? That would signal yields going lower and the dollar getting stronger,' said Steve Sosnick, chief market strategist at IBKR in Greenwich, Conn. 'It's hard to imagine stocks not reacting negatively and the question is how much.' Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager for global fixed income at Brandywine Global Investment Management in Philadelphia, said it was uncertain whether U.S. Treasuries would rally after the U.S. attack, largely due to the market's hypersensitivity to inflation. 'This could lead to regime change (which) ultimately could have a much bigger impact on the global economy if Iran shifts towards a more friendly, open economic regime,' said McIntyre.
an hour ago
New warning from the Department of Homeland Security
ABC News' chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas discusses how the U.S. missile strikes in Iran could impact the American people.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Bank hacks, internet shutdowns and crypto heists: Here's how the war between Israel and Iran is playing out in cyberspace
The war between Iran and Israel has already expanded from the battlefield into cyberspace. The conflict between the two Middle East adversaries has so far largely played out in public view, with hundreds of missiles and drones causing mass casualties across major cities. But Iran and Israel have also been launching cyber attacks against one another from the shadows — which officials are now warning may soon spill over onto U.S. targets. Overnight strikes by the U.S. against Iranian nuclear facilities have heightened the threat environment, and Iran could retaliate by hacking into U.S. electrical grids, water plants, and other critical sectors. 'Cyber is one of the tools of Iran's asymmetric warfare,' said Alex Vatanka, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. The National Terrorism Advisory System warned Sunday of a range of Iranian threats to the U.S., including attacks on 'poorly secured U.S. networks and Internet-connected devices.' 'Low-level cyber attacks against U.S. networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against U.S. networks.' Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine told reporters on Sunday that U.S. Cyber Command was helping support the strikes, although he did not elaborate on its involvement. A spokesperson for U.S. Cyber Command did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the main U.S. cyber defense agency, declined to comment. Critical infrastructure groups last week called on U.S. companies to proactively step up their defenses in anticipation of an attack. Former CISA Director Jen Easterly posted on LinkedIn on Sunday that U.S. critical infrastructure organizations should have their 'shields up' and be prepared for malicious cyber activity. 'While it's unclear whether its cyber capabilities were at all impacted by recent Israeli strikes, Iran has a track record of retaliatory cyber operations targeting civilian infrastructure, including: water systems; financial institutions; energy pipelines; government networks; and more,' she wrote. Both Iran and Israel are considered global cyber powers and have traded barbs online, particularly in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. An Iranian gang claimed responsibility for hacking into an Israeli hospital and stealing patient data in 2023, and an Israeli hacking group followed by shutting down large swaths of Iran's gas stations. But Israel's cyber capabilities are widely considered more sophisticated. 'The Iranians … are good, they are emerging, but I don't think they're at the level of the Israelis or Americans,' Vatanka said. Some of the most aggressive efforts over the past week have been cyberattacks against major financial institutions in Iran and disinformation campaigns aimed at causing chaos and confusion in Israel. A pro-Israeli hacking group known as Predatory Sparrow claimed credit for a cyberattack last week on Iran's Bank Sepah, which caused widespread account issues for customers. The group also later claimed credit for draining around $90 million from Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and for posting stolen Nobitex source code lists on the social media platform X. Hackers also targeted Iranian news stations. Videos circulated online appeared to show Iranian state TV broadcasting anti-regime messages last week. The Iranian government shut down the nation's internet in response to the attacks late last week, a blackout that was largely still ongoing on Sunday. 'Gaining control of the flow of information is certainly to be expected from the regime … they suspect that there is maybe an attempt to mobilize public attention,' Vatanka said. Top Iranian officials and their security teams were also advised last week to stop using internet-connected devices, in particular telecommunication devices, to protect against potential Israeli disruptions. Last year, thousands of pagers used by the Iranian proxy militant group Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon, leaving thousands injured. One reason Israel's cyberattacks may have been more effective in this round of fighting is that Israel struck Iranian facilities first, giving it more time to prepare its offensive and defensive options before Iran could retaliate. Iran and its proxy organizations are fighting back, albeit on a smaller scale. Israel's National Cyber Directorate warned Israelis abroad on Saturday not to fill out forms on malicious websites that are seeking to gather intelligence on these individuals. Gil Messing, chief of staff for Israeli cyber company Check Point Software, said Saturday just before the U.S. strikes that his company had tracked cyber and disinformation campaigns against Israel 'escalating a bit,' though no new major attacks had been reported. Messing said that there was a 'flood of disinformation' pouring onto social media last week, including messages discouraging Israelis from entering shelters during attacks and erroneous texts about gas and supply shortages. Israel's civilian cyber defense agency warned that Iran was renewing its efforts to hack into internet-connected cameras for espionage purposes. John Hultquist, chief analyst for Google Threat Intelligence Group, posted on X on Saturday shortly after the attacks that Iranian cyber forces usually use their 'cyberattack capability for psychological purposes.' 'I'm most concerned about cyber espionage against our leaders and surveillance aided by compromises in travel, hospitality, telecommunications, and other sectors where data could be used to identify and physically track persons of interest,' Hultquist wrote.
