A released audio recording Judi Weinstein to the emergency Magen David Adom (MDA) medical service captures the harrowing moments as she and her husband, Gadi Haggai, came under attack by terrorists during their routine morning walk on Oct. 7, 2023. The couple was brutally murdered and taken by the terrorists to Gaza, who held on to their bodies for over a year until their recovery by the IDF in an overnight operation Thursday.
Judi and Gadi Haggai had a daily custom of taking a morning walk around Kibbutz Nir Oz. On October 7, between approximately 6:50 and 6:56 a.m., they were among the first civilians to encounter the terrorists who were attacking he kibbutz.
Video: Judi Weinstein's call on Oct. 7 / Credit: Courtesy
In the call, a calm Weinstein tells the operator that she is "in our fields" near the community and explains that her husband had been hit. The call, and subsequent events, paint a grim picture of the assault that ultimately led to their murder and abduction by the "Mujahideen Brigades."
During the distress call to MDA, Weinstein, her voice strained, informed the dispatcher, "My husband was killed, I think he's dead." She described Gadi as face down, "with parts of his brain... outside his head, everything is covered in blood," and tragically confirmed he was unresponsive. She added that she herself had been injured: "I was injured in the face and hand."
The audio of the call reveals Judi's desperate pleas. "Yes, please, help us," she implored the MDA dispatcher. The dispatcher, attempting to gather critical information, asked, "Is he conscious?" Judi, replied, "I don't know," later reiterating, "He's not responding." When asked about the nature of the attack, Judi specified, "A weapon, there were guys on a motorcycle." The dispatcher sought to clarify, "Were there terrorists, were there terrorists who shot at you with a weapon?" to which Judi affirmed, "Yes." She confirmed again, "Yes, they shot at us."
Weinstein identified the assailants as terrorists on a motorcycle. Asked if she was in a safe place, she replied, "No, outside, no no no, under a tree, he's by the road." The dispatcher inquired if terrorists were still present. "Not at the moment," Judi responded. Throughout the exchange, the dispatcher attempted to reassure Judi, stating, "We, listen, we're on our way with the army," and repeatedly urged her, "Listen, I want you to please take care of yourself, okay?" Judi replied, "I'll try."
Their daughter, Iris, wrote of the tragic morning: "On the darkest of Saturdays, my amazing mother and my beloved father were taking their usual walk around the kibbutz. They were among the first civilians to encounter the terrorists between 6:50-6:56 AM. My heart has been stuck on 10/7."
Judi and Gadi Haggai were among the many victims brutally murdered during the Hamas-led October 7 massacre. Responsibility for their murder and abduction was claimed by the "Mujahideen Brigades," a Salafist-Jihadist terror group. This same organization was also responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel.
Gadi Haggai, 72 at the time of his murder, was a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, a father of four, and grandfather to seven. He was described as a sharp and talented individual – a gifted wind instrument player from the age of three, deeply connected to the land, a chef, and an advocate for healthy vegan nutrition and sports. Gadi worked as a cook in the kibbutz and was known for his keen intellect and exceptional musical abilities. He held American citizenship.
Video: The last images of the couple before their abduction / Credit: CCTV
Judi Lynn Weinstein-Haggai, 70 when she was murdered, was also a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, a mother of four, and grandmother to seven. She was an English teacher specializing in children with special needs and attention deficit disorders. Judi also worked with children suffering from anxiety due to the complex security situation in the Gaza envelope, utilizing meditation and mindfulness techniques. Beyond teaching, she was a poet, an entrepreneur, and deeply dedicated to promoting peace and fellowship. Judi held both American and Canadian citizenship.
In the joint operation conducted by the IDF and Shin Bet in the Khan Younis area of the Gaza Strip overnight Wednesday, the bodies of Judi and Gadi Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel for burial. The recovery of their bodies occurred around the same time the Mujahideen Brigades announced the death of Mahmoud Abu Nar, also known as Abu Yussuf, a senior commander in charge of their Central Camps Brigade. Abu Yussuf, a member of the group's military council, was reportedly killed in an Israeli Air Force strike in central Gaza.
The Mujahideen Brigades is one of approximately 12 factions operating under Hamas' joint operations room in Gaza. The group, which split from Fatah two decades ago and whose members were previously associated with Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, has been referred to by Israel as a "rogue organization" in the years preceding the current conflict, primarily due to its history of launching rocket attacks into southern Israel.
Like Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Mujahideen Brigades adheres to a fundamentalist Salafist ideology, with the stated aim of establishing an Islamic Caliphate. The group has acknowledged suffering significant losses during the ongoing war, including hundreds of terrorists, field commanders, and senior members, but claims to be actively recruiting new operatives, similar to Hamas. Prior to the death of Abu Yussuf other senior figures in the Mujahideen Brigades had been eliminated, including Mohammed Hassan Awad, the head of their intelligence apparatus, in April, and another senior intelligence official known as Abu Ashraf later that same month.
