Last Canadian Missing After Hamas Attack on Israel Confirmed Killed

In this undated photo released by Iris Weinstein Haggai, Judith Weinstein Haggai (L) and Gadi Hagi hold each other as they pose for a photo. The Canadian Press/AP-Iris Weinstein Haggai via AP

Judith Weinstein Haggai, the last Canadian reported missing in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist group’s attack on Israel, has been confirmed deceased, a relative says.

Ms. Weinstein Haggai, 70, succumbed to the attack on Oct. 7. Her family has reported that her remains are currently located in the Gaza Strip, the base of the Hamas organization. The assault by the terrorist group on Israel resulted in approximately 1,200 people killed and about 240 individuals held captive.

In an interview earlier this month, relatives of Ms. Weinstein Haggai disclosed that she and her husband, Gadi Haggai, 73, were on an early-morning walk when Hamas initiated its attack on Oct. 7. A terrorist on a motorcycle reportedly shot Mr. Haggai while Ms. Weinstein Haggai was also wounded.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed Ms. Weinstein Haggai’s death in a statement posted on the social media platform X on Dec. 28.

“It is with heavy heart that we learned of the passing of Judy Weinstein today who is believed to have been killed by Hamas on Oct. 7. I have met with her family and they have described her as loving, kind, and compassionate. Canada mourns her loss with her family and loved ones,” Ms. Joly wrote.

Ms. Weinstein Haggai, originally from New York state, made her way to Toronto at the age of three before moving to Israel two decades later to join her husband. She held citizenship in Canada, Israel, and the United States. The couple resided in the Nir Oz kibbutz, a collective farming community located less than three kilometres from the Gaza Strip.

Israeli officials reported that the cellphone signal of Ms. Weinstein Haggai was detected within Gaza, as disclosed by her family. Last week, officials confirmed the family’s suspicions regarding Mr. Haggai’s death on Oct. 7. Despite this confirmation, relatives continued to hold onto hope that Ms. Weinstein Haggai would be released.

Ali Weinstein, the niece of Ms. Weinstein Haggai who lives in Toronto, said in a Dec. 4 interview that the family underwent emotional turmoil—experiencing grief, joy for released hostages during a pause in fighting, and fear when Ms. Weinstein Haggai wasn’t among them. Initially, the family chose silence to avoid elevating her profile with presumed captors.

Global Affairs Canada had previously confirmed the deaths of eight Canadians, including one in Lebanon.

In November, officials confirmed the death of Vivian Silver, a Canadian peace activist, as reported by her family. She was believed to have been taken hostage during the Hamas attack in Israel.

Other Canadians were found dead immediately after the Oct. 7 attack, including Ben Mizrachi, 22, of Vancouver, and Alexandre Look, 33, of Montreal. The two men were killed at a music festival raided by Hamas terrorists. Additionally, Hamas claimed the lives of dual Israeli-Canadian nationals Netta Epstein, 21; Shir Georgy, 22; and Adi Vital-Kaploun, 33.

Tiferet Lapidot, 22, an Israeli with family ties to Canada, was also present at the music festival and was found dead days later.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.