Judih Weinstein Haggai, the last Canadian kidnapped by Hamas, has died
Judih Weinstein Haggai, the only Canadian citizen who was still missing amid the Israel-Hamas conflict and believed to be held in the Gaza Strip, has been confirmed dead.
Her family says she died on Oct. 7, the day that Hamas conducted its assault on Israel. She and her U.S.-Israeli husband, Gadi Haggai, were shot near the Gaza border.
Kibbutz Nir Oz, of which the two were members, had previously confirmed Gadi Haggai did not survive earlier in December. Speaking on behalf of the family, it shared news Thursday that Judih Weinstein Haggai had also died.
"With great sorrow Kibbutz Nir Oz announces the murder of Judy Weinstein," it wrote in a statement obtained by CTV News.
The Kibbutz described her as "an English teacher, who specialized in teaching children with special needs."
For the past few years she has also taught Mindfulness to children and teenagers who suffered from anxiety caused by the ongoing rocket fire from Gaza," the statement reads. "Judy was a poet, entrepreneur, and pursued many initiatives to advance peace in the region."
Weinstein Haggai was a mother of four, two daughters and two sons, and a grandmother to seven. The Kibbutz says their bodies remain with Hamas.
More to come. Published with files from The Canadian Press.
