HEARTBREAKING

Kibbutz Says Israeli-American Hostage Judith Weinstein Died on Oct. 7

“She was a poet and an entrepreneur who loved to create and was dedicated to working for peace and friendship,” the kibbutz said.

A 70-year-old Israeli-American woman who was taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7 is dead and her body is still being held in Gaza, according to a Thursday statement by a spokesperson for the Kibbutz Nir Oz. Judith Weinstein and her husband Gadi Haggai, 72, were on their regular morning walk when they were killed in the initial attack that resulted in the deaths or kidnappings of more than half of the residents at the small farming community. Previous reports confirmed that Haggai had died on Oct. 7 but it was believed that Weinstein was taken alive. The news website said that it remains unknown how Kibbutz Nir Oz determined she died. According to ynetnews, Weinstein is survived by four children, seven grandchildren, and her 95-year-old mother. She taught English in the kibbutz and worked with children with special needs. “She was a poet and an entrepreneur who loved to create and was dedicated to working for peace and friendship,” the kibbutz said. More than 130 hostages are still in Gaza.