First US hostage Gadi Haggai, 73, useless, spouse nonetheless being held captive by Hamas

A US twin nationwide who was amongst some 240 individuals seized through the Oct 7 assault by Hamas in Israel has died in captivity within the Gaza Strip, a bunch representing hostages’ households stated as per information company Reuters. Gadi Haggai, 73, additionally held Israeli citizenship, the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board stated.

Gadi Haggai’s spouse Judi- who additionally has American citizenship- nonetheless stays a hostage, the discussion board stated. Gadi Haggai is the primary American hostage to have died.

“Gadi was a person filled with humor who knew the right way to make these round him snicker. A musician at coronary heart, a gifted flutist, he performed within the IDF Orchestra and was concerned with music his entire life,” the discussion board stated in a press release, including that on the morning of October 7, Gadi Haggai and Judi went “for his or her common morning stroll within the fields and vineyards” of Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel after they had been kidnapped by Hamas.

“Judi managed to inform buddies that that they had been shot and that Gadi was critically injured — it was the final contact with them,” it stated.

Official Israel tally reveals that129 individuals stay held in Gaza after the remaining had been repatriated in a November truce or recovered throughout a army offensive. Of these nonetheless in Gaza, 22 are useless. The discussion board stated that between 5 and 10 of the hostages maintain US citizenship though the US Embassy has not commented on the identical, information company Reuters reported.

This comes as Israel signalled that it was widening the bottom offensive with a brand new push into central Gaza. Israel’s army ordered residents of Al-Bureij, in central Gaza, to maneuver south instantly, indicating a brand new focus of the bottom assault.