Judih Weinstein Haggai, the last Canadian known to have been kidnapped by Hamas, confirmed dead

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 reported 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, they said in a statement Thursday.

Kibbutz Nir Oz, of which the two were members, confirmed earlier in December that Gadi Haggai did not survive. Speaking on behalf of the family, it shared news Thursday “with great sorrow” that Judih Weinstein Haggai also died.

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.”

She also volunteered to help Palestinians in Gaza. 

Pictured is Judih Weinstein Haggai and her husband Gad Haggai. (Contributed)

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. 

“‎‏May Judy’s memory be a blessing,” the statement reads. 

Weinstein Haggai was born in the United States, and held citizenship for the U.S., Israel, and Canada — having moved to Toronto when she was three years old, according to her family. 

In the mid nineties, around the age of 20, she and her husband landed in Kibbutz Nir Oz in the southern Israel desert. The two later made a home less than three kilometres away. 

They had been out on a walk near the kibbutz when Hamas fired rockets into Israel on Oct. 7, according to her daughter Iris Haggai Liniado, who spoke with CTV following the attack.

“I can’t believe this is reality,” their daughter said at the time. 

‘MY SISTER … BELIEVED IN PEACE,’ SAYS BROTHER

Ali Weinstein, Judih’s niece, said in a Dec. 4 interview with The Canadian Press that the family was on an emotional roller-coaster since Oct. 7 — feeling relief for hostages who were released during a pause in hostilities, and dread each time her aunt wasn’t among them. 

She also applauded Canadian officials for their responsiveness. She says the family was in touch with two RCMP officers nearly every day, despite there being few new facts to share.

She also said the family struggled with Israel’s response to the attacks. Family members also expressed concern at the rise in hateful speech toward both Jews and Muslims in Canada.

“We’re inspired by my sister, who believed in peace and believed in harmony,” Larry Weinstein, Judih’s brother, told The Canadian Press on Dec. 4.

“There can’t be any kind of resolution when people are at each other’s throats.”

More to come. Published with files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press.