After being kidnapped by Hamas militants on October 7, Yehudit Weiss, a 65-year-old Israeli woman, was found dead near Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital by Israeli soldiers. Her body has been taken back to Israel by the IDF. It was reported that she was among more than 200 people taken hostage by Hamas during its terror attack on October 7, which resulted in the killing of more than 1,200 people. The IDF has expressed its condolences to the family of Yehudit and reiterated their commitment to locating the missing and returning the abducted persons home.
In response to Weiss’ death, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari stated that Hamas had killed Weiss, confirming that she had been murdered by the terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Military equipment was also found at the structure where her body was located, including Kalashnikov rifles and RPGs. In addition, the Israeli military claimed to have found an “operational tunnel shaft” inside the Shifa hospital complex, although CNN was unable to verify the claim. The liberal community of Kibbutz Be’eri, where Weiss lived, has been a frequent target of Hamas rockets and, on October 7, the kibbutz became the site of a massacre as Hamas militants breached the compound and murdered more than 120 of its residents, including children, and kidnapped others.
The Hostages and Missing Person’s Families Forum, a group established by the families of those abducted by Hamas, confirmed that Weiss was a 65-year-old grandmother. The situation continues to develop, and further updates will be made available.
